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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Stoneville, Mississippi » Warmwater Aquaculture Research Unit » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #308074
Title: Effect of supplemental taurine on juvenile channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus growth and survival after challenge with Edwardsiella ictaluri

Author
item MANNING, BRUCE - Mississippi State University
item Wood, Monica
item Flora, Corrin
item Peterson, Brian

Submitted to: Aquaculture America Conference
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/1/2014
Publication Date: 2/1/2015
Citation: Manning, B.B., Wood, M.L., Flora, C.L., Peterson, B.C. 2015. Effect of supplemental taurine on juvenile channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus growth and survival after challenge with Edwardsiella ictaluri. Aquaculture America Conference. P. 374.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Juvenile channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus, were fed a basal diet that contained major protein (soybean meal, cottonseed meal) and energy (ground corn grain) ingredients that were derived from plant sources. Plant-source ingredients are considered to be low (< 5 ppm) for taurine content. In addition, one of the experimental diets (internal control treatment) contained 2% menhaden fishmeal formulated with the same plant-source ingredients as the basal diet. The basal diet was supplemented with 4 levels of crystalline taurine to provide 0 ppm (control treatment), 7 ppm (7 mg/kg of feed), 28 ppm, and 60 ppm taurine. The fish were fed the five diets once daily for 49 days. The amount fed was based on individual group daily feeding response. At 0 and 49 days the fish were weighed to obtain data for body weight gain (g). Additionally, at 49 days, feed intake, feed conversion ratio (FCR), and percent survival were determined. At the end of the growth study, fish were challenged with virulent Edwardsiella ictaluri and mortality was recorded for 21 days. Results indicated that there were increases in body weight gain for each increase in dietary inclusion of taurine, with the highest level of supplementation (60 ppm) being significantly (P < 0.01) higher than the control basal diet treatment. Although the presence of taurine in the basal diet improved FCR, the improvements were not significantly (P > 0.05) better than the control-fed fish. Survival during the growth study was 98.3% for the control-diet fish and the fish fed the diet containing 2% fishmeal. Diets containing taurine had 100% survival. There was no significant differences (P > 0.05) in survival due to E. ictaluri infection among the five treatments. The results suggest taurine supplementation to juvenile catfish may improve weight gain but results do not support a role in resistance to E. ictaluri.