Effects of water temperature on protein synthesis and protein growth in juvenile Atlantic wolffish ( Anarhichas lupus)

• Published in: Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
• Main Authors: McCarthy, Ian D, Moksness, Erlend, Pavlov, Dimitri A, Houlihan, Dominic F
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Canadian Science Publishing 1999
• Subjects: Canada; Atlantic salmon; Salmo salar
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/f98-171; http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/f98-171

The effects of water temperature (5, 8, 11, and 14°C) on the fractional rate (percent per day) of protein consumption (k r ) and on white muscle and whole-body fractional rates of protein synthesis (k s ), protein growth (k g ), and growth efficiency (PPV, growth/consumption; k g /k s , growth/synthesis) of juvenile Atlantic wolffish (Anarhichas lupus) (initial body weight 26 g) were studied. Rates of protein consumption and white muscle and whole-body protein synthesis increased in a linear fashion between 5 and 14°C. In contrast, the relationships between temperature and white muscle and whole-body protein growth, protein growth efficiency (PPV) and protein synthesis retention efficiency (k g /k s ) were parabolic. The results indicated that the optimum water temperatures for growth (T opt.G ) and growth efficiency (T opt.GE ) were 10-11 and 9-10°C, respectively. The maximum white muscle and whole-body protein growth rates recorded at T opt.G were 0.9 and 0.7 %·day -1 , respectively. At T opt.GE , the maximum white muscle and whole-body PPV values were 28 and 34%, respectively, and k g /k s values were 92 and 51%, respectively. The growth performance data for juvenile Atlantic wolffish in comparison with published data for salmonids (rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar)) at 9-11°C further highlight its suitability as an alternative species for cold-water aquaculture in northern Europe and Atlantic Canada.