This study was conducted to determine the dietary protein requirement for young Barbus capito by formulating diets with seven protein levels of 30.24%,33.22%,36.23%,39.33%,42.15%,45.33% and 48.12%.Each diet was randomly assigned to triplicates with 30 fish each.Fish with initial body weight of (11.07±2.42) g were raised in recirculation system (each aquarium 220 L) for 56 d with water flow rate of 2 L/min.The results showed that weight gain and specific growth rate increased with the increasing protein level from 30.24% to 42.15%,but had no difference with each other when protein level ranged from 42.15% to 48.12%.Protein efficiency rate declined gradually with the increasing dietary protein level.Protein retention efficiency in 30.24%,33.22%,39.33% and 42.15% protein level groups was significantly higher than that of 48.12% protein group (P＜0.05).Feed conversion efficiency and crude protein of body reached the maximum value,and moisture of body reached the minimum value in 42.15% protein group.Serum cholesterol reached the minimum value in 48.12% protein group and was significantly lower than that of groups with dietary protein ranged from 30.24% to 39.33%（P＜0.05）.Serum triglyceride in groups with protein ranged from 39.13% to 48.12% was significantly lower than that of groups with protein ranged from 30.24% to 33.22% （P＜0.05）.There were no difference in survival rate,crude lipid,serum total protein,globulin,alkaline phosphatase,alanine transaminase and aspartate aminotransferase （P>0.05）.The weight gain and feed conversion efficiency reached the maximum value in 43.09% and 44.15% protein group respectively by using the polynomial regression model.