The introduction to vitamin c.The importance and role of vitamin C in fish larval nutrition.

1. A PRESENTATION ON
Prepared By- Joynal Abedin
Department of Aquaculture
Role of vitamin ‘C’ in larval Nutrition

2. WHY ?
Fishes (carps) lacks the enzyme gulono lactone oxidase
needed for conversion of glucose into Vitamin C
(mukhopadyay et al 1996)
It is needed for absorption of ions and nutrients and its
deficiency in fish is evident mostly by structural deformities
such as curvature of the spine, broken skull and hemorrhage.
It is a major component in the synthesis of collagen which
enables fish to maintain its structural and skeletal integrity
use phosphorylated form to enhance stability.

3.  Gabaudan et al. 1990 reported significant differences in weight
gains between rainbow trout fed a vitamin C deficient diet and those
receiving 181 g/ton (200 ppm) Vitamin C, beginning at 10 months
of age. After 15 months, the vitamin C deficient fish had only half
the weight gain of those receiving normal supplementation.
scoliosis
Fish lying on their side, may exhibited abnormal
swimming behaviour.
Have shortened gillcovers and abnormal
curvature of the spine.

4. Recommended vitamin levels for aquaculture
fish species (Source: adapted from Lim et al.)
Sl. No. Species Recommended vitamin C
level (mg/kg of feed)
01. Tilapia 150-250
02. Catfish 150-250
03. Shrimp 250-500
04. Salmon 150-250
05. Trout 150-250

5. Larval Nutrition
 Nutritional requirement changes in line with ontogenesis , this being true for
vitamin C (Merchie et al.,1997; Darias et al.,2010).
 Vitamin requirement is higher in larvae due to higher metabolic
rates(Dabrowski, 1992)
 Deficiency induced gill arch pathology and caudal fin erosion in carp larvae
(Dabrowski et al 1988)
 Most of the malfunctions develop during skeletogenesis, hence larval nutrition
has key role in skeletogenesis
Fig1.Caudal fin erosion

6. Dietary AA level
<30Mg/Kg Diet >400Mg/Kg Diet
 Cartilage damage characterised
by unformed haemal arches
 cartilaginous vertebrae,
 Pungheadness and
 lost of one vertebra.
• Formation one extra vertebra

7. Spinal deformities in fish can result from inheritance or trauma and
not necessarily deficiency of the vitamin; although the use of
Radiography can show and identify spinal deformities in fish.
The reliable ways of detecting vitamin C deficiency in fish include:
When there is Low levels in liver and kidney concentrations
Identification of Vertebral collagen level, especially in channel
catfish and rainbow trout

8.  Guary et al., 1976 were the first to observe that vitamin C was required for
maximum growth in penaeid shrimp.
 Vitamin C deficiency disease (often called Black Death),
is characterized by black melanized lesions of the loose
connective tissues of the body, especially under the
carapace, the abdomen, the gills, and in the
foregut and hindgut.
 Gross lesions may show a series of black bands
at the articulations of the abdominal segments, giving the affected animal a
striped appearance

9. Different levels dietary vitamin C on growth of
freshwater prawn, Macrobrachium malcolmsonii
Source-Annamalai Asaikkutti et al., 2016

10. THANK YOU