Dietary pantothenic acid requirement of fingerling channel catfish.

Two experiments were conducted to reevaluate the dietary pantothenic acid requirement for fingerling channel catfish. Purified diets supplemented with calcium d-pantothenate were used in both experiments. The results indicate that the previously reported requirement value was underestimated. The minimum dietary calcium d-pantothenate level that produced maximum growth, feed efficiency and prevented the characteristic deficiency sign of gill lesions was 15 mg/kg of diet. The gill lesions were detected in 2 weeks in fish fed deficient diets. A reduction in the gill lesions was evident within 2 weeks after fish fed the deficient diet were converted to a diet containing 40 mg calcium d-pantothenate per kilogram of diet. In one experiment there appeared to be a high correlation between disease susceptibility and dietary calcium d-pantothenate level. Based on these observations and since the requirement may vary depending on fish size, age, water temperature, water ionic strength, fish density, oxygen availability, etc., we recommend a value of 30 mg calcium d-pantothenate per kilogram of diet be used in formulating catfish feeds.