Rl. Mclaughlin et al., CONCENTRATIONS OF NUCLEIC-ACIDS AND PROTEIN AS INDEXES OF NUTRITIONAL-STATUS FOR RECENTLY EMERGED BROOK TROUT (SALVELINUS-FONTINALIS), Canadian journal of fisheries and aquatic sciences, 52(4), 1995, pp. 848-854
We examined whether concentrations of nucleic acids and protein sample
d from muscle tissue were useful indicators of nutritional status for
recently emerged brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis). Trout collected
from the field were maintained in the laboratory under two food treatm
ents: fed versus food deprived. Concentrations of RNA and DNA, and RNA
/DNA ratio did not differ significantly between fed and food-deprived
trout, but fed trout had higher concentrations of protein and were 20%
heavier at a given fork length than food-deprived trout. Wild trout f
ed in the laboratory had lower concentrations of RNA, DNA, and protein
, and lower RNA/DNA ratios than did trout in the field, but were signi
ficantly heavier for their fork length. Tissue concentrations of prote
in may provide an index of nutritional status for recently emerged bro
ok trout while concentrations of nucleic acids apparently do not. It i
s important to ensure that concentrations of nucleic acids and protein
reflect nutritional status adequately for the species and life stage
of interest before using these indices to assess the condition of fish
in the field.