Manipulation of growth of the Amazonian fish tambaqui, Colossoma macropomum (Characiformes: Serrasalmidae): analysis of physiological and zootechnical aspects

Abstract

Colossoma macropomum, known locally as tambaqui, is the native fish most farmed in Brazil, however, technological advances are needed to reach efficient production rates. Modulating growth factors, such as growth hormone, may be associated with improved growth rate and feed efficiency. The use of exogenous hormone for fish rearing is prohibited in Brazil, yet the experimental use of bovine hormone can be useful in research aimed at understanding how to stimulate endogenous growth hormones in fish. Therefore, the present study had the strict objective of understanding the effects of growth hormone on the physiology and zootechnical parameters of C. macropomum under experimental conditions. The animals were intraperitoneally injected every fifteen days with 1, 10 and 100 μg g-1 of bGH using 0.9% NaCl saline as diluent. The 10 and 100 μg g-1 bolus had a positive effect on the performance indexes of C. macropomum: weight gain (g), growing length (cm), daily weight gain (g), feed conversion and specific growth rate (% per day). The bGH promoted a greater increase in length than in mass, which caused a reduction in condition factor of the individuals receiving a bolus of 10 and 100 μg g-1. Furthermore, bGH caused no changes in glucose levels, cortisol, hematological parameters, plasma levels of Na+ and K+, and activity of gill’s H+-ATPase and Na+, K+-ATPase, at least during the experimental period considered in the present study.

Artificial aeration promotes better zootechnical performance and physiological balance of tambaqui (Colossoma macropomum) cultivated in a system without continuous water flow (Amazon: Brazil)

“…The nitrogen compounds come mainly from animal excretion and food leftovers during the growing period, which may exceed the values recommended in the literature, due to high density and the supply of feed in intensive systems (Oliveira et al, 2012). The breeding tanks tambaqui with high biomass without constant artificial aeration have high concentrations of total ammonia, which causes a reduction in the flow of oxygen in the blood stream of the tambaqui, affecting the gas exchange of branchial ventilation, decreasing the Fe 3+ affinity erythrocytes, which brings down the hematocrit percentage (Paz & Val, 2018). Likewise, glucose levels in cell plasma and also in Na + , K + and ATPase activity can be affected, which can be reduced due to poor ODW distribution, negatively influencing osmotic balance and amino acid transport, blood flow enthalpy and the functional stability of vital organs.…”

“…Due to the growing demand for fish in the Amazon, the volume of fish production has intensified, however, the tambaqui confined to high densities without efficient aeration tend to have a physiological and immunological imbalance, in Research, Society and Development, v. 10, n. 1, e32310111759, 2021 (CC BY 4.0) | ISSN 2525-3409 | DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.33448/rsd-v10i1.11759 addition to insufficient protein deposition, that is, insufficient weight gain (Vikesa et al, 2017). The physiological, hematological and immune conditions of the tambaquis are directly related to well-being in the culture media and correlated with the deposition of muscle proteins, as they are correlated with the performance and gain of body mass (Paz & Val, 2018).…”

Viabilidade econômica e aspectos produtivos de peixes nativos da Amazônia

“…8.1 HEMATOLOGIA E MORFOMETRIA Devido à redução das populações naturais pela pesca extrativista e predatória (ANDRADE-PORTO et al, 2018) há a necessidade de se conhecer as características biológicas das diferentes espécies, principalmente referentes aos parâmetros fisiológicos (LI et al, 2018;KALANZA et al, 2018). Porém, pouco se conhece sobre as características hematológicas do A. gigas, pois até o presente momento foram estudados somente os parâmetros bioquímicos e hematológicos para esta espécie em tanques-rede (ANDRADE-PORTO et al, 2018) e quando suplementados com vitaminas C e E (ANDRADE et al, 2007;PAZ;VAL, 2018;), sendo que estes estudos são ainda incompletos para as várias fases de desenvolvimento ontogênico.…”

Colossoma macropomum—A tropical fish model for biology and aquaculture

“…Since then, studies that support tambaqui farming in terms of their biology in the natural environment, physiology, biochemistry, and nutrition have advanced significantly. Studies have also been performed simulating environmental challenges that include analyses of the effects of climate changes predicted for the year 2100 on parasitological, genetic, and zootechnical aspects of animals (J. C. Costa & Val, 2020; Paz & Val, 2018; Prado‐Lima & Val, 2016). In addition, in regard to the resilience of the tambaqui in a different sense, studies on the effects of temperature and ammonia, among others, have also been published, as we will see below.…”