The whole amino acid profile as indicator of the nutritional condition in cultured marine fish larvae

The effect of variations in the amount or quality of food provided on the amino acid profile of larvae, was tested in two marine fish species, the Senegal sole (Solea senegalensis) and the sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax). The objective was to assess whether such nutritionally suboptimum dietary patterns, which simulate situations that may occur in hatcheries, result in variations in the concentration of one or more amino acids that could be used as indicators of nutritional condition of larvae. Restriction in the normal food ration by 60% had no clear effect on the amino acid profile of sea bass, while the concentration of some amino acids (Arg, Ala and Phe) showed significant variations in sole. Feeding on artificial diets, which have shown their inadequacy a priori, resulted also in no significant effect on the profile of sea bass, but in a dramatic modification of the amino acid profile in sole. In addition, changes in the amino acid profiles considered as a whole were evaluated using the cluster analysis instead of paired comparisons between amino acid concentrations in each treatment. The analysis clearly separated profiles of larvae fed restrictedly or inadequately from their controls, irrespective of the species. This demonstrated the potential value of evaluating whole changes in amino acid profile as nutritional indicator. Besides, it was demonstrated that sensitivity of larvae to nutritional changes that may be reflected in the amino acid profile is greatly conditioned by the species and developmental stage.