Association of level of digestible energy in total length, weight of gonads and gonadosomatic index of female Piauçu (“Leporinus macrocephalus”, SPIX 1829)

Abstract

The objective of this work was to associate the energy digestible level of the diet to ovary development in post larval stage. Twenty-four female fish were used with weight and average initial length of 0.33 ± 0.11 g and 2.94 ± 0.39 cm, respectively. There were four treatments: 2600, 2700, 2800, and 2900 kcal of DE/kg of ration. Digestible energy levels influenced the final weight up to the estimated level of 2757.142kcal/kg. However, there was no significant effect for total length, gonad weight, and gonadossomatic index in females. The level of digestible energy did not provide better initial development of the ovary. This information may guide new experiments, to improve the conditions of cultivation, to value the activity on the economic sense as well as increase the number of fingerlings for aquaculture.