Crude protein requeriment to curimatã-pacu juveniles

ABSTRACT The aim of this study was to determinate crude protein (CP) requirement to curimatã-pacu juveniles (Prochilodus argenteus). The experiment was conducted during 60 days in a completely randomized design, with four treatments (24.0, 28.0, 32.0 and 36.0% CP of diet) and five replications, where a hundred juvenile fishes (initial weight de 0.33 ± 0.01g), were distributed in twenty tanks (130L each). Each tank with five juveniles was considered an experimental unit, with water recirculation. Performance, heterogeneous growth, morphometric and physiological parameters, and economic viability of the rations according to the CP levels were evaluated. For the regression analysis, a linear increase in performance, heterogeneous growth and morphometric and physiological parameters with increased of the protein in rations were observed. When compared by the Tukey test (P>0.05), the best results were obtained with 36% CP. There was lower fish growth heterogeneity as the levels of CP in the diet increased. Thus, taking into consideration the economic viability it is recommended to use feed containing 36% of crude protein to curimatã-pacu juveniles.