Effects of Dietary Lipid Supplements on Subadult Sunshine Bass

Abstract

Abstract Dietary essential fatty acid supplements fed to subadult sunshine bass Morone chrysops ♀ × M. saxatilis ♂ were evaluated for 6 months with four experimental semipurified diets that were formulated with different ratios of eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acids (EPA and DHA): 0:0 for diet 1 (control), 1:1 for diet 2, 1:2 for diet 3, and 2:1 for diet 4. A commercially available trout grower diet known to support sunshine bass growth was compared as an industry standard. Fish were fed each diet in triplicate, with 25 fish/replicate. Weight was measured every 6 weeks. With the exception of the final weighing, at which fish fed the trout grower diet were larger, there was no significant difference in the weights of the fish from all the diet trials. Fish fed diets supplemented with highly unsaturated fatty acids (HUFA) showed a decline in tissue concentrations of n-3 HUFA over the study period, except in diet 4 (high EPA in diet, elevated EPA body levels) and diets 2, 3, and 4 (high DHA in diet, e...