Protein requirement for Trichogaster lalius, blue variety

• Main Authors: Jener Alexandre Sampaio Zuanon, Antonio Policarpo Souza Carneiro, Lidiane da Silva Nascimento, Donizete Aparecido da Silva, Marcelo Duarte Pontes, Márcio Yoshiyuki Kanashiro, Ana Lúcia Salaro
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Sociedade Brasileira de Zootecnia 2013-02-01
• Series: Revista Brasileira de Zootecnia
• Subjects: dwarf gourami; growth performance; nutrient requirements; ornamental fish
• Online Access: http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1516-35982013000200010

The objective of the present study was to evaluate the protein requirement of juvenile Trichogaster lalius, blue variety. The experimental design was of randomised blocks (B1 = initial weight of 1.04±0.05 g and B2 = 1.36±0.02 g), with two replicates within each block and five treatments (230, 270, 310, 350 and 390 g CP/kg diet). The fish were fed to satiation, three times a day for 90 days. The study evaluated: survival rate, weight gain, final length, feed intake, feed conversion ratio, protein efficiency ratio, specific growth rate and condition factor. There was a linear effect of dietary protein levels for protein efficiency ratio, specific growth rate (positive linear effect) and feed conversion ratio (negative linear effect). For weight gain, final length, feed intake and condition factor a quadratic effect of dietary protein levels was observed, with estimated values of 409.8, 366.2, 317.4 and 365.0 g CP/kg diet, to improve their performance parameters. Analysis of growth based on the length of the fish shows that 366.2 g of CP/kg diet meets the protein requirement of juvenile Trichogaster lalius, blue variety.