Effects of high and low protein diets on the gut evacuation rate of <i>Tilapia nilotica</i>

Abstract

Gut evacuation rate of young Nile tilapia, <i>Tilapia nilotica</i> fed commercial pelleted diets containing high or low protein diet were determined in the laboratory. The decline in gut fullness of the fish with time was examined at low and high protein diets. Two mathematical models were used to express the decline in gut fullness of the fish with time. Fish fed the low protein diet followed more closely the linear model while those fed the high protein diet followed the logarithmic model. The level of protein resulted in different gut evacuation rates (GER), expressed as coefficients b of the gut fullnesstime curve. GER values were higher in either linear or logarithmic models for fish fed low protein diet than for those fed high protein diet.