Depending on a preliminary analysis of the variance, data were pre-corrected for fixed effects of batch (four levels), sex (two levels), rearing cell (three levels), cage row (three levels), slaughter time (morning or afternoon), experimenter at slaughter (i.e. the person in charge of cutting intestinal segments, seven levels).
Trichoplusia ni larvae were reared under level 2 biosafety conditions, as previously described [ 17].
RBCs, Hb, plasma protein, plasma lipids, and plasma cortisol values were significantly affected by protein level and rearing density only; meanwhile, plasma glucose, AST, and ALT were significantly affected by protein level, rearing density, and their interaction (P ≪ 0.05; Tables 5 and 6).
The growth of Nile tilapia cultivated at D 2 and fed on the same protein diet (45% CP) was higher than that of the fish reared at D 1. Condition factor and fish survival in different experimental groups were not significantly affected by protein levels, rearing density, or their interaction.
Therefore, the present study was conducted to investigate the effect of dietary protein levels, rearing density, and their interaction on growth characteristics, feed utilization, and body composition of Nile tilapia, as well as their effect on the physiological status of the fish.
Pupal mass differed significantly between inbreeding levels, rearing temperatures, sexes, replicate lines and replicate cages, but not in relation to selection regime (Table 2D).
These patterns, however, were largely restricted to animals reared at 20°C and to males (significant selection regime * inbreeding level * rearing temperature interaction and significant selection regime * inbreeding level * sex interaction; Figure 3A and 3B).
Briefly, activity (total number of beam breaks in the lower level), mobility (at least two consecutive beam breaks in the lower level) and rearing (number of rearing beam breaks) were measured.
At 27 weeks of age the effect of CP level during rearing on eating rate had disappeared.
In contrast to the rearing period, feed intake and eating time were not affected by CP level during rearing at 22 weeks of age, whereas eating rate was increased by 8 and 16% for CPm and CPl, respectively, compared to CPh.
