Dietary Protein Requirements of Fishes — A Reassessment

Abstract

It is widely believed that fishes require more dietary protein than other vertebrates. Many aspects of fish physiology, nutrition, and trophic ecology have been interpreted within the context of this high protein requirement. Here, fishes are compared with terrestrial homeotherms in terms of (1) protein requirement for maintenance, (2) relative protein concentration in the diet required for maximum growth rate, (3) protein intake rate required for maximum growth rate, (4) efficiency of protein retention in growth, and (5) weight of growth achieved per weight of protein ingested. The two animal groups compared differ only in relative protein concentration in the diet required for maximum growth rate. This difference is explained in terms of homeotherms' greater requirement for energy and does not reflect absolute differences in protein requirement. The remaining measures of protein requirement suggest that fishes and terrestrial homeotherms are remarkably similar in their use of protein as a nutritional resource. Reinterpretation of the role of protein in fish physiology, nutrition, and trophic ecology is perhaps in order.