Histidine: How much of this key nutrient do pompano need?

A study was recently published on how much histidine, an amino acid that helps build and repair tissues, is needed in the diet of snubnose pompano, Trachinotus blochii. Histidine is critical to mitigate the development of cataract in fish, which impairs their ability to find food and navigate.

SEAFDEC/AQD Scientist Dr. Roger Edward Mamauag fed juvenile pompano with different levels of histidine for 90 days and measured their growth and eye condition. Along with his co-author Dr. Janice Ragaza of the Ateneo de Manila University, they found that the optimal histidine level for pompano was 1.61 g per 100 g diet or 0.357 g per 100 g protein. None of the fish developed cataracts during the study period.

The article was made available online on 25 May 2023 through the journal Animal Feed Science and Technology. You may request a copy from the SEAFDEC/AQD Institutional Repository here: https://repository.seafdec.org.ph/handle/10862/6442.