Dietary Phosphorus Requirement of Juvenile Red Drum Sciaenops ocellatus

Eight isoenergetic and isonitrogenous diets containing graded levels of inorganic phosphorus were fed to juvenile red drum Sciaenops ocellatus for an 11 week period. Red drum were maintained in a brackish water (5–6 ppt) recirculating system. There were no significant differences in weight gain or feed conversion. However, survival was generally lower for fish fed deficient diets. Phosphorus supplements up to 0.86% increased bone calcium and scale ash, calcium, and phosphorus values. Bone ash and phosphorus were not significantly affected above 0.71% dietary phosphorus. It appears that approximately 0.86% dietary phosphorus is needed for maximum tissue mineralization of juvenile red drum.