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Effects of Dietary Docosahexaenoic Acid Levels on the Growth, Body Composition, and Health of Liver and Intestine in Juvenile Tiger Puffer (Takifugu rubripes)
by
, ,
Lu Zhang
1,2,
Chenchen Bian
2,*,
Ziling Song
1,2,
Yang Liu
1,2,
Jiahao Liu
2,
Qiang Ma
2
,
Yuliang Wei
2
,
Mengqing Liang
2 and
Houguo Xu
2,*
1
College of Fisheries and Life Sciences, Shanghai Ocean University, 999 Huchenghuan Road, Shanghai 201306, China
2
State Key Laboratory of Mariculture Biobreeding and Sustainable Goods, Yellow Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, 106 Nanjing Road, Qingdao 266071, China
*
Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Animals 2025, 15(11), 1514; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15111514
Submission received: 26 April 2025
/
Revised: 19 May 2025
/
Accepted: 20 May 2025
/
Published: 22 May 2025
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Optimizing Farm-Raised Fish Production: Nutritional Requirements, Precision Feed Formulations, Sustainable Feeding Strategies, and Health and Welfare)
Simple Summary
In aquaculture, determining the optimal dietary requirements for essential nutrients like docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is critical for fish health and sustainable feed development. This study investigated the effects of six graded DHA levels (0.09–3.08% of dry matter) on juvenile tiger puffer (Takifugu rubripes), a high-value marine species. A dietary DHA level of 1.75–1.88% maximized the growth performance, enhanced the muscle protein synthesis, and improved the intestinal morphology. However, excessive DHA (3.08%) tended to result in oxidative stress, inflammation, and tissue damage. The DHA deposition in muscle plateaued beyond the threshold, suggesting that the excess DHA was metabolized rather than stored. These findings provide practical guidance for the management of dietary DHA in tiger puffer farming.
Abstract
Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), a long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid, plays a critical role in animal growth, inflammatory regulation, lipid metabolism, and neurological functions. However, the optimal dietary requirement of DHA for tiger puffer remains unknown. This study systematically investigated the effects of different dietary DHA levels on the growth performance, body composition, hematological parameters and tissue physiology of tiger puffer (average initial body weight 17.78 ± 1.92 g). Six experimental diets with graded DHA concentrations (0.09%, 0.57%, 1.35%, 1.61%, 2.28%, and 3.08% dry matter) were formulated. The feeding experiment was carried out in a seawater flow-through system for eight weeks, with each diet assigned to three replicate tanks. Based on the regression analysis of weight gain and specific growth rate, the maximum values were observed at the dietary DHA level of 1.75% and 1.88%, respectively. Appropriate DHA levels also significantly improved the muscle protein synthesis and lipid metabolism, and strengthened the intestinal morphology. Furthermore, a threshold for efficient DHA deposition in muscle was identified, beyond which excess DHA (3.08%) may be β-oxidized and therefore largely wasted. In conclusion, the optimal dietary DHA level for juvenile tiger puffer should be within the range of 1.75–1.88%.
