Open AccessEvaluation of Low‐protein Alternative Diets for Pond‐raised Hybrid Catfish, Ictalurus punctatus × Ictalurus furcatus
Author(s) -
Li Menghe H.,
Robinson Edwin H.,
Lucas Penelope M.,
Bosworth Brian G.
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
journal of the world aquaculture society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.655
H-Index - 60
eISSN - 1749-7345
pISSN - 0893-8849
DOI - 10.1111/jwas.12178
Subject(s) - ictalurus , biology , catfish , soybean meal , fish meal , cottonseed meal , zoology , feed conversion ratio , meal , weight gain , net protein utilization , protein efficiency ratio , food science , fishery , body weight , fish <actinopterygii> , ecology , endocrinology , raw material
A study was conducted to evaluate low‐protein traditional or alternative diets for pond‐raised hybrid catfish, Ictalurus punctatus × Ictalurus furcatus . Three 24% protein diets containing decreasing levels of soybean meal (30, 20, and 15%) and increasing levels of cottonseed meal and corn germ meal were compared with a 28% protein control diet. Hybrid catfish fingerlings (mean initial weight = 71 g/fish) were stocked into 20 earthen ponds (0.04 ha) at a density of 14,826 fish/ha with five ponds per dietary treatment. Fish were fed once daily to apparent satiation for a 191‐d growing season. There were no significant differences in total diet fed, net yield, weight gain, feed conversion ratio (FCR), survival, or fillet proximate nutrient composition among dietary treatments ( P ≥ 0.10). However, regression analysis showed for fish fed 24% protein diets there was a linear increase in FCR as soybean meal levels decreased ( P = 0.06). Compared with fish fed the 28% protein control diet, fish fed 24% protein diets had lower carcass and fillet yield. Results demonstrate a 24% protein alternative diet containing 20% soybean meal may be substituted for 28% protein diets for hybrid catfish during food fish production.