Increase in dietary protein level resulted in higher digestibility and intestinal trypsin
activity at all salinities but enhanced growth was observed only for fish reared in 15 and 33
p.p.t. At 7 p.p.t., elevation of dietary protein level appeared to result in protein wastage,
evident in the form of enhanced gluconeogenic (G6Pase) activity and ammonia excretion
rate. This would indicate that at 7 p.p.t., metabolism has been fundamentally re-organised
to favour protein catabolism, which despite augmented protein digestion would result in
overall poor growth