The effect of high ortho-phosphate water levels on growth,feed intake,nutrient utilization and health status of juvenile turbot (Psetta maxima) reared in intensive recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS)

In intensive recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) ortho-phosphate (ortho-P) is one of the main accumulating substances, but effects of chronically elevated concentrations on fish health and production performance are still unknown. Therefore 120 juvenile turbot (Psetta maxima) were exposed to ortho-P concentrations of 3 mg/L (control – C), 26 mg/L (low – LP), 52 mg/L (medium – MP) and 82 mg/L (high – HP) for 56 days and fed until satiation with a commercial diet. Health status and feed conversion ratio (FCR) were not significantly affected by treatment (p > 0.05). Specific growth rates (SGR) and daily feed intake (DFI) of C were not considered significantly different from LP, MP and HP treatments, however LP showed significant higher DFI and SGR than HP (p < 0.05). Using non-linear regression between SGR and ortho-P concentrations, 27 mg/L ortho-P was found as the optimum for turbot growth. Although not reflected in blood plasma P levels (p > 0.05) a potential aqueous P uptake might result in metabolic benefits leading to the observed growth enhancement in the LP treatment.In a second experiment 114 juvenile turbot were exposed to ortho-P concentrations of 2 mg/L (C2) and 25 mg/L (LP2) for 63 days and fed until satiation with a low P diet (4.6 g digestible-P/kg diet). Overall production performance was low due to low voluntary feed intake. Whereas the FCR was unaffected by treatment (p > 0.05), significantly higher feed intake and biomass gain were observed for LP2 compared to C2 (p < 0.05). LP2 treatment showed a trend for higher protein retention efficiency and lower whole body lipid content (p < 0.1). The dry matter, ash, Phosphorus, Calcium and protein content in whole body did not significantly vary between treatments (p > 0.05).In conclusion the accumulation of ortho-P in RAS does not negatively affect health of turbot. Elevated ortho-P seems to have slight positive effects on production performance of juvenile turbot. Further research to quantify dietary P requirements for turbot in general, as well as for turbot raised under elevated ortho-P conditions in RAS is strongly required.