Research articles
ScienceAsia 50 (2024):ID 2024039 1-8 |doi:
10.2306/scienceasia1513-1874.2024.039
Juvenile mangrove red snapper (Lutjanus argentimaculatus)
is euryhaline but utilizes feed better in seawater than in
brackish water
Chantana Keawtapeea, Kanyanee Teepapalb, Kannika Preedapholb, Prawit Rodjanc, Nutt Nuntapongd, Karun Thongprajukaewe,*
ABSTRACT: The mangrove red snapper (Lutjanus argentimaculatus) inhabits seawater and brackish water environments, but the optimal salinity for rearing the species in aquaculture systems has never been assessed. Here, triplicate
groups of juvenile L. argentimaculatus (9.16?9.17 g body weight) were reared in various salinities (0, 7.5, 15, 22.5,
and 30?) for eight weeks; and growth, feed utilization, digestive enzyme activities, muscle quality, and whole-body
composition were investigated at the end of trial. Food rejection and mortality gradually increased over the first three
weeks among fish reared in 0 and 7.5? treatments; while the growth performances of the other three remaining
treatments were similar, with a specific growth rates of 1.78?2.08% body weight/day, p > 0.05. However, feed
conversion ratio of the fish reared in 30? treatment, which was 4.12 g feed/g gain, was significantly (p < 0.05) lower
than those of the fish reared in 15 and 22.5? treatments, which were 5.31 and 5.16 g feed/g gain, respectively. In
addition, it was observed that digestive enzyme activities, muscle quality, and whole-body composition were not affected
by the different levels of water salinity. These findings confirm the euryhaline characteristics of juvenile mangrove red
snapper, and the observed feed conversion ratios support rearing this species in a salinity of 30?.
Download PDF
0 Downloads 686 Views
a |
Phuket Coastal Fisheries Research and Development Center, Phuket 83110 Thailand |
b |
Phang-Nga Coastal Fisheries Research and Development Center, Phang-Nga 82120 Thailand |
c |
Department of Agriculture and Innovation, School of Agricultural Technology and Food Industry,
Walailak University, Nakhon Si Thammarat 80160 Thailand |
d |
Kidchakan Supamattaya Aquatic Animal Health Research Center,
Aquatic Science and Innovative Management Division, Faculty of Natural Resources, Prince of Songkla University,
Songkhla 90110 Thailand |
e |
Division of Health and Applied Sciences, Faculty of Science, Prince of Songkla University, Songkhla 90110 Thailand |
* Corresponding author, E-mail: karun.t@psu.ac.th
Received 8 May 2023, Accepted 6 Mar 2024
|