Requirement of Red Sea Bream for Dietary Trace Elements

Abstract

Red sea bream, Chrysophrys major, were fed diets with or without supplemental trace elements (AI, Zn, Mn, Cu, Co, and I) over a 90 day period. No significant differences were detected between the two groups in the following determinations: the growth rate, feed efficiency, condition factor, and hepatosomatic index; the hemoglobin content, hematocrit value, red blood cell count, MCH, MCV, MCHC, MCD, percentage of immature erythrocytes, and number of lymphocytes and granulocytes per 1000 red blood cells in the whole blood; the blood serum levels of protein, glucose, urea-N, total bilirubin, total cholesterol, Ca, and inorganic P and Fe; the activities of GOT, GPT, ALP, LDH, and LAP in the blood serum; the lipid and glycogen content of the liver; and the lipid, ash, Ca, P, Mg, and K content of the vertebrae. Furthermore, no pathological change was found in the organs of fish fed the diet without the trace element supplement. From these findings, it appears that trace element supplementation in the diet for red sea bream is not essential, when the trace elements exist at levels exceeding 0.20mg of Al, 2.43mg of Zn, 1.78mg of Mn, 0.51mg of Cu, 0.43mg of Co, and 11.21μg of I per 100g diet.