Abstract:
The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of stocking density on growth, muscle composition and blood parameters of
Pelteobagrus vachelli juveniles. A 60 day feeding trial was conducted to evaluate the effects of stocking density on growth, muscle composition and blood parameters of juvenile yellow catfish (
Pelteobagrus vachelli). A total of 600 juvenile yellow catfish with an initial body weight of (25.23±0.09) g were randomly distributed into four different stocking density groups with 3 replicates per group of G1 (0.50 kg·m
-3, 20 fish·m
-3), G2 (1.01 kg·m
-3, 40 fish·m
-3), G3 (1.51 kg·m
-3, 60 fish·m
-3), G4 (2.02 kg·m
-3, 80 fish·m
-3). The results showed that the growth and feed coefficient of juvenile yellow catfish were effected significantly by stocking density (
P < 0.05). Final body length, final body weight, specific growth rate and condition factor decreased with an increase in stocking density, whereas the feed coefficient showed the opposite tendency (
P < 0.05). Final body length, final body weight, specific growth rate, condition factor and survive rate of fish in G1 were higher than those in G3 and G4 (
P < 0.05), but the condition factor, feed coefficient and survive rate of G1 and G2 were with no significant difference(
P>0.05).Muscle protein content increased significantly with the increase in stocking density, whereas muscle lipid content decreased significantly (
P < 0.05). Muscle protein content of fish in G1 was lower than others, whereas the lipid content showed the opposite tendency (
P < 0.05). Lower stocking density groups had higher albumin content and lysozyme activity in blood (
P < 0.05), whereas glutamic-pyruvic transaminase and glutamic-oxalacetic transaminase activities showed the opposite tendency(
P < 0.05). No significant difference was observed in blood total antioxidant capacity among all groups(
P>0.05). In conclusion, 1.01 kg·m
-3 was considered to be a suitable stocking density for juvenile yellow catfish with an initial body weight of (25.23±0.09) g.