Dietary vitamin A requirements of juvenile Japanese flounder Paralichthys olivaceus

A 70-day feeding experiment was conducted to assess the dietary vitamin A (VA) requirements of juvenile Japanese flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus). Six semi-purified diets with VA supplementations of 0, 5000, 10 000, 15 000, 20 000 and 25 000 IU kg(-1) were fed twice a day to triplicate groups of 20 juveniles per tank with an initial weight of 1.59 +/- 0.01 g (mean +/- SE). Weight gain (WG) and specific growth rate (SGR) increased as dietary VA increased up to 10 000 IU kg(-1). Significantly lower WG and SGR were observed for the 0 IU kg(-1) treatment than for treatments of 5000, 10 000 and 15 000 IU kg(-1). Highest WG and SGR were observed in fish fed 10 000 IU kg(-1); slightly lower values were recorded in fish fed 15 000, 20 000 or 25 000 IU kg(1). No significant difference was observed in survival rate among treatments. Whole body total lipid was significantly higher in fish fed 0 and 5000 IU kg(-1) than for other levels. Reduced growth and small livers were observed as signs of VA deficiency in fish fed 0 IU kg(-1). Slightly reduced growth and pale fragile livers were observed as effects of VA excess in fish fed 25 000 IU kg(-1). Total retinol contents in liver and eyes increased with increasing levels of dietary VA. No retinol was detected in livers, and significantly lower total retinol content was observed in eyes, of fish fed 0 IU kg(-1). WG analysed by the broken line method indicated that an optimum dietary VA requirement of 9000 IU kg(-1).