Effect of dietary taurine levels on growth performance and taurine content of Nibea albiflora larvae

The effect of taurine supplementation to a microencapsulated diet at 0 % (T-0 %), 1 % (T-1 %) and 2 % (T-2 %) level on growth performance and taurine content of Nibea albiflora larvae was evaluated. The microencapsulated diet was prepared using wet granulation and fluidized bed coating process. Scanning electron microscopy microphotography of the microencapsulated diet showed the appearance with a dense film around the core. More than 50 % of diet particles were between 250 and 590 μm. A 30-day feeding experiment was conducted with larvae at 15 days after hatching (DAH), in which larvae were weaned at 20 DAH from copepods to the experimental diets or fed copepods throughout the experimental period. The survival and total length of larvae were significantly higher in T-1 % group compared with T-0 % group ( P < 0.05). The survival, total length and wet weight of larvae were significantly higher in T-2 % group compared with T-0 % group ( P < 0.05). Fish larvae fed copepods had the best growth performance in survival, total length and wet weight, which were significantly higher than those in other treatments ( P < 0.05). The taurine content of larvae fed with supplemental taurine (T-2 %, T-1 %) was significantly higher than that of larvae fed without supplemental taurine (T-0 %) ( P < 0.05). These results confirmed that taurine is an essential nutrient for N. albiflora larvae.