DIGESTA VISCOSITY AND NUTRIENT DIGESTIBILITY IN EUROPEAN SEA BASS (DICENTRARCHUS LABRAX) IN A FRESH WATER AND MARINE ENVIRONMENT

摘要

Soluble non-starch polysaccharides (NSP) present in vegetable proteins may increase digesta viscosity and consequently reduce fish performance. The impact of soluble NSP on digesta viscosity may differ between marine and fresh water species. Marine species have higher drinking rates than fresh water species in order to maintain their water body volume (Perrot et al., 1992). This may lead to more diluted and thus less viscous digesta. European sea bass has a high tolerance to variation in water salinity and therefore is a good model species to test the hypothesis that the impact of soluble NSP on digesta viscosity is less in a marine environment compared to a fresh water environment.