The dietary requirement for threonine in juvenile olive flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus)

This study was conducted to determine dietary threonine (Thr) requirement for juvenile olive flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus). A total of 450 juvenile fish (23.2 ± 0.4 g) were randomly distributed to 18 tanks (215 L) with 25 fish per tank. Experimental diets included with graded levels of Thr at 0.0%, 0.4%, 0.8%, 1.2%, 1.6%, and 2.0% were assigned for triplicate groups of fish and fed two times daily to apparent satiation for 12 weeks. Weight gain, specific growth rate, feed intake, feed utilization and survival were significantly (p < 0.05) increased in fish fed with dietary Thr levels over 0.8%, and no significant differences were observed between 0.8% to 2.3% levels. Non-specific immune parameters of serum lysozyme, myeloperoxidase activity, antiprotease activity, and total immunoglobulin were significantly increased by dietary Thr over 0.8%. Based on the broken-line regression analysis, the Thr requirement for the optimum growth and immune response in olive flounder is likely to be 1.03% in the diet.