GROWTH AND ENERGY UTILIZATION OF JUVENILE PINK ABALONE HALIOTIS CORRUGATA FED DIETS CONTAINING DIFFERENT LEVELS OF PROTEIN AND TWO STARCH:LIPID RATIOS

Abstract Juvenile pink abalone Haliotis corrugata (initial mean length = 10.7 ± 0.3 mm; initial mean weight = 0.15 g) were grown under laboratory conditions in an aerated flow-through seawater system at 21 ± 1°C. For 131 days, abalone were fed diets containing three different levels of protein (42%, 36% and 32%), each level containing two ranges of starch:lipid ratios (1.5–1.8 or 3.2–3.6). The gross energy content of the diets ranged from 4.26–3.68 kcal/g. Within a particular protein level, growth did not differ significantly. When dietary protein levels exceeded 32%, a trend of higher growth of abalone was observed for dietary treatments that contained lower levels of lipid (higher starch to lipid ratios). The amount of protein consumed daily for the 32% dietary protein is apparently insufficient to meet requirements for energy and maximum growth. No notable diet-dependent differences in the proportional composition (dry weight) of the shell and the soft tissue, and the energy content of the soft tissue ...