Dietary flounder skin improves growth performance, body composition, and stress recovery in the juvenile black rockfish (Sebastes schlegeli)

This study investigated the relationship between flounder skin meal (FSM) and vitamin C in mediating collagen biosynthesis. Based on the vitamin C requirements (150 mg/kg) of the black rockfish (mean body weight 10.05 +/- 0.44 g), a vitamin C level of 400 mg/kg was selected, and 0, 5, 10, or 20% of the casein (purified proteins) in the diet was replaced with FSM. The feeding study was conducted for 8 weeks by using 4 experimental groups. The FSM supplementation resulted in improvement in growth performance, decrease of body lipids. Furthermore, it elevated the HDL-cholesterol levels and total protein content, reduced blood lipids, and led to rapid recovery in stress, which confirm the functionality of FSM with high collagen content.