Determination of growth performance, meat quality and colour attributes of large rainbow trout ( Oncorhynchus mykiss ) in the southern Black Sea coasts of Turkey

The aim of this study was to determine the growth performance, meat quality and colour attributes of large rainbow trout ( Oncorhynchus mykiss ) in net cage systems in the southern Black Sea coasts of Turkey. In the study, large rainbow trout with an initial weight of 1,322.07 ± 57.72 g were reached to 3,385.30 ± 140.98 g and the survival rates were 95.69 ± 1.32% in 5‐month production period. Crude protein and crude fat values of fish meat were ranged between 16.75 ± 0.07–20.18 ± 0.90% and 9.22 ± 0.15–12.29 ± 0.42%, respectively ( p  < .05). The essential and non‐essential amino acid values were between 12.92 ± 0.02–13.09 ± 0.01 g/100 g and 11.97 ± 0.14–11.47 ± 0.01 g/100 g, respectively ( p  > .05). C20:5n‐3, C22:6n‐3, ɷ3 and ɷ6 values in fish meat were between 4.32 ± 0.02–4.30 ± 0.08% ( p  < .05), 8.31 ± 0.10–7.72 ± 0.15% ( p  < .05), 13.41 ± 0.10–12.93 ± 0.23% ( p  < .05) and 21.85 ± 0.06%‐19.74 ± 0.36 ( p  < .05), respectively. As a result, it can be concluded that large rainbow trout cultured in the southern Black Sea coasts of Turkey is a rich source of food in terms of fatty and amino acid compositions and atherogenicity index, thrombogenicity index and hypocholesterolaemic/hypercholesterolaemic values.