Open AccessPlant Products in Compounded Diets Are Effectively Utilized by American Alligator, Alligator mississippiensis
Author(s) -
Reigh Robert C.,
Williams Millie B.
Publication year - 2018
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.12520
Subject(s) - alligator , american alligator , biology , hatchling , zoology , dietary protein , ecology , hatching
Growth performance of American alligators fed a plant‐based diet was measured in a 10‐mo feeding trial. Hatchling alligators (192 in total) received one of three dietary treatments: a 56% crude protein (CP) commercial diet fed for 3 mo followed by a 50% CP commercial diet fed for 7 mo (56/50); a 56% CP diet fed for 3 mo followed by an experimental 45% digestible‐protein (DP), plant‐based diet fed for 7 mo (56/45); or a 45% DP diet fed for 10 mo (45/45). Final mean length and weight ( L / W ) of alligators fed 45/45 were lower ( P < 0.05) than L / W of animals fed 56/50, but L / W of alligators fed 56/45 was not different ( P > 0.05) from L / W of alligators fed 56/50 or 45/45. Also, the range of growth responses among animals in all treatment groups showed that some better‐performing individuals fed 45/45 or 56/45 grew as large as animals fed 56/50. Results indicated that the American alligator can effectively utilize plant products in a compounded diet, and additional research on optimizing the use of selected plant products in alligator feeds is warranted.