Essentiality of Ca Supplement to White Fish Meal Diet for Tiger Puffer

Abstract

The essentiality of Calcium (Ca) supplement to a white fish meal diet for tiger puffer Takifugu rubripes was investigated with two rearing experiments. Fish were fed on a white fish meal diet with or without Ca supplement for 12 weeks and 14 weeks in experiments 1 and 2, respectively. Poorer growth and feed efficiency were found in the Ca non-supplemented group. A deletion of Ca from the diet increased the bone lipid, Zn, and Cu contents. The present study suggests that Ca supplement to a white fish meal diet is essential for proper growth and feed efficiency of tiger puffer.