Food and nutrition Pirapitinga (Piaractus brachypomums) and Tambaqui (Colossoma macropomum): Review

Abstract

Brazilian aquaculture offers great diversity of native species with potential for cultivation due to the wide biodiversity of different river basins. Because of feeding costs and the importance of species Colossoma macropomum and Piaractus brachypomus for Brazilian aquaculture is essential knowledge of nutritional requirements and factors that may influence the development of balanced rations that allow adequate productive performance of Tambaqui and Pirapitinga. This study aimed to review research results related to nutrition Colossoma macropomum and Piaractus brachypomus. In the scientific literature, publications focus on determining the nutritional requirements of protein, energy and their relationships. They are scarce reviews aimed at determining the amino acid requirements; essential fatty acids, minerals and vitamins, since, for the most part, the diets practices provided to these species are formulated using certain requirements for exotic species. The digestibility of protein fractions and energy commonly used ingredients in feeding native fish should be better clarified. Even the possibility of inclusion of alternative food in the feeding of these fish should be evaluated, especially in species Piaractus brachypomus. Among the studied species it showed the greatest lack of information. We need to deepen the knowledge of the use of lipids and carbohydrates as energy sources, resulting in possible reduction of the protein level of feed. The appropriate levels of protein and energy rations are different, there is the need for standardization of the experiments.