<b>Digestible energy Levels on the piauçu (<em>Leporinus macrocephalus</em>)performance</b> - DOI: 10.4025/actascianimsci.v29i1.266

Abstract

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of energy levels on the piauçu (Leporinus macrocephalus) productive performance. Two hundred and fifty post larvae,average initial weight and length of 0.56 ± 0.02 g and 3.60 ± 0.42 cm respectively, wereassigned to 25 aquariums with 100 L and stocking rate of 10 fishes/aquarium. The experiment was carried out according to a completely randomized design, with 5 treatments (2600, 2700, 2800, 2900 and 3000 kcal DE kg^-1 of a isoprotein ration with 28% CP) and five replications. Viscera-somatic index did not differ among treatments. Final weight, weightgain, protein efficiency rate and survival rate were not affected by the energy level. Linearincrease of digestible energy intake and decreasing linear effect of energy levels on carcassprotein content, as dietary digestible energy level increased, were observed. The level of 2,700 kcal DE kg^-1 showed the higher protein values. A positive linear effect among the dietary DE levels and fat content and the fat percentage in weight gain were also observed,which increased in a quadratic way up to the level of 2,821 kcal DE kg^-1. The digestible energy requirement for piauçu fingerlings in the post larvae phase is 2,700 kcal DE kg^-1