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Dietary protein requirement of giant mud crab Scylla serrata juveniles fed iso‐energetic formulated diets having graded protein levels
Author(s) -
Unnikrishnan Unniyampurath,
Paulraj Rajain
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
aquaculture research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.646
H-Index - 89
eISSN - 1365-2109
pISSN - 1355-557X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2109.2009.02330.x
Subject(s) - biology , scylla serrata , carapace , juvenile , zoology , protein requirement , weight gain , dietary protein , protein metabolism , body weight , crustacean , fishery , ecology , metabolism , biochemistry , endocrinology
The protein requirement of juvenile mud crab Scylla serrata (body weight=0.25±0.051 g, carapace width=9.3±0.04 mm) fed with different iso‐energetic, iso‐lipidic diets with graded protein levels (15–55% crude protein at 5% intervals) was determined. The feeding trial was conducted for a period of 63 days to determine the minimum and optimum protein requirement of juvenile S. serrata . The crabs fed with 15% and 20% dietary protein levels showed 100% and 12.5% of mortalities respectively. The mortalities observed in the above treatments were associated with the prolonged intermoult duration (46 and 32 days respectively). All other treatments recorded 100% survival. The best growth performance as well as the nutrient turn‐over was recorded in crabs fed with 45% crude protein in the diet. Second‐order polynomial regression of specific growth rate (SGR) as well as body protein gain vs. dietary protein levels suggested that 46.9–47.03% dietary protein is required for the best growth response and protein deposition in juvenile S. serrata . An extrapolation of ‘SGR’ and ‘daily protein gain’ upon the ‘dietary protein level’ axis ( Y =0) showed that 14.7–16.2% dietary protein is necessary for the minimum maintenance metabolism.