REQUIREMENT OF REDLIP MULLET FOR DIETARY PHOSPHORUS

The requirement of dietary phosphorus was investigated in two age grou ps of redlip mullet, Liza hematochiela. Fish with initial mean weights 3.8 g (zero year-old) and 26.5 g (one year-old) were fed on purified diets containing varying dietary levels of phosphorus (0.3 to 1.1%). R esults from two studies indicated that the available phosphorus requir ement of redlip mullet is approximately 0.7%. In both experiments weig ht gain together with feed efficiency were maximal in fish fed diets c ontaining 0.6-0.7% dietary phosphorus, but further elevation above thi s level did not result in a better growth. in a zero year-old fish, it was found that the decrease in the dietary P level resulted in the in crease in the lipid, and the decrease in Ca, P and crude ash contents of vertebrae. However, no such effect was observed for the one year-ol d fish. In all groups both serum and bone Ca/P ratio performed values of 3:1 and 1:1 in zero and one year-old redlip mullet, respectively, s uggesting a predominancy of Ca content in body tissues at early stages . Hence, the change in balance between Ca and P is an age dependent.