Abstract:An 8-week feeding trial was conducted to evaluate the effects of different dietary protein and wheat starch levels on growth performance,hepatic metabolic enzymes activities,hematological characteristics,glycogen content and digestive enzyme activities in large yellow croaker.Six experimental diets were formulated to contain two protein levels(41% and 46%) and three wheat starch levels(10%,20% and 30%).Each diet was randomly assigned to 3 replicates of 50 juvenile large yellow croaker[initial weight approximately(14.84±0.16)g].The results indicated that weight gain rate and specific growth rate were not significantly affected by the interaction of dietary protein and wheat starch levels(P>0.05).When the dietary protein level was the same,dietary wheat starch levels had no significant effect on WGR and SGR(P>0.05).However,the interaction of dietary protein and wheat starch levels had significant effects on phosphofructokinase,pyruvate kinase,fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase(P<0.05),but there were no significant influences on glucokinase,glucose-6-phosphatase,phosphoenolpyruvate in liver(P>0.05).When the dietary protein level was 41%,glucokinase,phosphofructokinase and fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase were significantly affected by dietary wheat starch levels(P<0.05),and fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase significantly decreased with increase of dietary wheat starch levels,but had no significant effects on pyruvate kinase,glucose-6-phosphatase,phosphoenolpyruvate in liver(P>0.05).When dietary protein level was 46%,glucokinase,phosphofructokinase,pyruvate kinase and fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase were significantly affected by wheat starch levels(P<0.05),and glucokinase,phosphofructokinase,pyruvate kinase increased with dietary wheat starch levels increasing from 20% to 30%.The results indicated that,when the dietary wheat starch level is high,large yellow croaker has the ability to maintain blood glucose content by adjusting the hepatic glycogen,glycolysis and gluconeogenic key enzymes activities with increase of dietary wheat starch level.However,under condition of low dietary protein level,the growth performance was improved with increase of dietary wheat starch level,but blood glucose content was also increasing with increase of dietary wheat starch level.