The proposed three year investigation is a request for a continuation of an international exchange research program between the University of Hawaii and the University of Lecca, Italy examining the comparative physiology of intestinal nutrient transport in fish of economic importance in both countries. Hawaii and Italy both have extensive fish aquacultural activities currently underway to help meet the burgeoning human need for protein. A serious problem to fish economic development is the production of an artificial diet that is nutritious and inexpensive. The requested extension of this previously highly successful research effort will use several in vitro laboratory methods to elucidate the mechanisms of sugar, amino acid, peptide, and short chain fatty acid transport in the intestines and associated diverticula from herbivorous and carnivorous fishes at the two laboratories. The novel information resulting from these physiological studies may be important in the future development of artificial diets for these respective fishes and may reduce the time necessary for each species to reach their full aquaculture potential.
