Dietary phosphorus affected growth performance,body composition,antioxidant status and total P discharge of young hybrid sturgeon (♀Huso huso × ♂Acipenser schrenckii) in winter months

An 8‐week feeding trial was carried out using young hybrid sturgeon (♀Huso huso × ♂Acipenser schrenckii) to study the effects of dietary phosphorus (P) on growth performance, body composition, liver and serum antioxidant status as well as the effluent P content in the wintertime. Four puffed pellet diets were formulated to contain graded total P levels at 0.63, 1.15, 1.85, and 2.12%, respectively. Triplicate groups of hybrid sturgeon (494.21 ± 18.63 g) were reared in concrete ponds (2.0 × 1.2 × 1.4 m), and fed one of the four diets for 8 weeks. Weight gain and feeding rate significantly decreased with increasing dietary P content, and fish fed the 2.12% P diet had negative growth. With the increase in dietary P, whole body ash and P content significantly increased. There was no inverse relationship between the whole body lipid content and dietary P level in young hybrid sturgeon. Hybrid sturgeon liver exhibited higher superoxide dismutase, catalase and glutathione peroxidase activities in the 0.63 and 1.15% dietary P treatment groups than those in the other two groups. Serum alkaline phosphatase activity increased significantly with increasing dietary P. Discharge of P into the pond increased significantly with increasing dietary P. In conclusion, a dietary P content between 0.63 and 1.15% helped young hybrid sturgeon to activate their antioxidant defense system and eradicate the free radicals, in order to reduce the antioxidant damage, while still keeping total P content in the pond at a relatively low level during the winter months.