The effects of different protein, lipid and carbohydrate diets on growth an
d energy storage in tench, Tinca tinca L., were studied. Over a 2-month per
iod fish were fed four different diets: control, protein-enriched, carbohyd
rate-enriched and lipid-enriched. The best growth rates were obtained with
the control and protein-enriched diets; the carbohydrate diet produced the
worst results (lowest specific growth rate, weight gain, nutritional index
and hepatosomatic index). These results suggest that it is not advisable to
reduce dietary fish protein below 35%, and that it is not possible to obta
in a protein-sparing effect of either lipids or carbohydrates, at least in
our experimental conditions. The high-protein diet resulted in the storage
of energy excess as muscle proteins and hepatic glycogen. Tench fed the hig
h-carbohydrate diet stored carbohydrates as muscle glycogen and reduced pla
sma triglycerides. Finally, both liver and muscle lipid content were in pos
itive correlation to dietary lipid.