Nutrition of Salmonoid Fishes

Abstract

The efficiency of L-arginine·HCl, glycine, urea, and diammonium citrate as nitrogen supplement compounds in chinook salmon diets was studied. Six lots of 200 fish each, average weight 3.8 gm, were used. Diets containing 20% balanced protein and 40% balanced protein were compared with diets containing 20% balanced protein and 20% “crude” protein as L-arginine·HCl, glycine, urea or diammonium citrate. Chinook salmon appeared similar to other animals in the ability to convert arginine and glycine to non-essential amino acids, but in contrast to other animals, seemed unable to convert urea or diammonium citrate to these compounds for growth.