Spirulina as a natural carotenoid source on growth, pigmentation and reproductive performance of yellow tail cichlid Pseudotropheus acei

A feeding trial on yellow tail cichlid Pseudotropheus acei (Regan 1922) was undertaken to asses the effect of dietary Spirulina meal as a natural carotenoid source. Four experimental diets were formulated to progressively replace 0% (C), 2.5% (SP2.5), 5% (SP5) and 10% (SP10) of fish meal weight. Ten fish per tank (initial weight 3.75?±?0.02?g) were randomly distributed into twelve 80?l fiberglass tanks connected to a closed recirculation system (temperature 26.7?±?0.06°C). The diets were tested in triplicate for 12?weeks. The specific growth rate of fish fed all Spirulina diets were significantly higher compared to diet C. Feed intake (FI) tended to increase with dietary Spirulina level, and fish fed diet SP10 had significantly higher FI values compared to diet C. No significant differences in feed conversion ratio were observed among these groups. Although the protein efficiency ratio of fish fed diet C was lower than that of all Spirulina diets, no significant differences were observed among these groups (P?>?0.05). The total egg production and hatching rate (%) of eggs derived from all fish fed with Spirulina diets was significantly higher compared those from fish fed diet C. The yellow and blue coloration of yellow tail cichlid fed the diet containing Spirulina meal was enhanced and inclusion of dietary Spirulina meal was elevated carotenoids in skin. Results of the present study indicated that Spirulina meal has the potential to enhance the growth, reproductive performance and coloration on yellow tail cichlid.     

Nutritional evaluation of autoclaved Salicornia bigelovii Torr. seed meal supplemented with varying levels of cholesterol on growth, nutrient utilization and survival of the Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus)

A 7-week feeding trial was conducted to investigate the effects of replacing fish meal by autoclaved Salicornia bigelovii seed meal (SSM), supplemented with varying cholesterol levels, on feed intake, growth performance, body composition and survival of Nile tilapia Oreochromis niloticus fingerlings under laboratory conditions. SSM was tested at different inclusion levels (0, 25, 50 and 65 % of total protein), using different levels of cholesterol supplementation (0, 1, 2 and 2.6 %) in isonitrogenous (420 g Kg^?1 DM crude protein) and isocaloric (18.52 MJ Kg^?1 DM) fish meal–Soybean meal-based diets. Triplicate groups of fish (374 ± 15 mg, initial fresh body weight) were randomly stocked in 18 20-L plastic tanks at a stocking density of 20 fish per tank and were fed to satiation by hand five times a day, 7 days per week. Feed intake, growth performance and survival were significantly affected by the SSM inclusion level and the cholesterol supplementation. The lower growth performance of fish fed diets containing SSM without cholesterol is thought to result from the presence of saponins in the meal. When cholesterol is added, the saponin-induced toxicity is ameliorated, which is evident from growth and survival responses, up to 50 % of SSM protein inclusion. At the highest level of SSM inclusion (65 %), growth and survival were very poor, despite the addition of cholesterol. The results of the present work suggest that autoclaved SSM can partially substitute fish protein in diets for O. niloticus fingerlings at levels up to 50 % of the dietary protein if 2 % cholesterol is added in fish meal–SBM-based diets.     

Improvement of nutritive value of sesame oilseed meal in formulated diets for rohu,Labeo rohita (Hamilton), fingerlings after fermentation with two phytase-producing bacterial strains isolated from fish gut

Eight isonitrogenous (approximately 35 % crude protein) and isocaloric (17.58 kJ g^?1) diets incorporating raw and fermented sesame oilseed meal replacing other feed ingredients including fishmeal at 10, 20, 30 and 40 % levels by weight into a fishmeal-based reference diet (RD) were fed to rohu, Labeo rohita, fingerlings (mean initial weight 3.19 ± 0.09 g) for 80 days. Two phytase-producing bacterial strains (LF1 and LH1 of Bacillus licheniformis) isolated from the foregut and hindgut regions of adult L. rohita were used for fermentation of oilseed meal for 15 days at 37 ± 2 °C. Fermentation of sesame seed meal was effective in significantly reducing the crude fibre content and anti-nutritional factors such as tannins and phytic acid and enhancing available free amino acids, free fatty acids and mineral concentration. In terms of growth, feed conversion ratio and protein efficiency ratio, 30 % fermented oilseed meal incorporated diet resulted in a significantly (P < 0.05) better performance of rohu fingerlings. In general, growth and feed utilization efficiencies of diets containing fermented oilseed meal were superior to diets containing raw meal. The apparent digestibility of protein, lipid, ash and minerals (phosphorus, calcium, manganese, copper and iron) was significantly (P < 0.05) higher in fish fed diet containing 30 % fermented oilseed meal in comparison with those fed RD. The maximum deposition of protein in the carcass was recorded in fish fed the diet containing 30 % fermented seed meal.     

Effect of dietary Spirulina platensis on fatty acid composition of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) fillet

This paper reports on inclusion of Spirulina platensis (SP) in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) fish diet and its effect on the fish tissue fatty acids (FAs) composition. Fish in triplicate groups with average initial body weight of 75 ± 0.23 g and age of about 7 months were fed a control diet with no supplements and with three experimental diets supplemented with 2.5, 5 and 7.5 weight percent (wt%) of SP for 12 weeks. At the end of experiment, the fillet FA compositions were evaluated. It was found that the composition of FAs in fish fillet was significantly (P < 0.05) affected by inclusion of SP in diets. As compared to the control sample, feeding the fish supplemented particularly with low levels of SP improved the quality of FAs by decreasing undesirable saturated FAs (SFAs) content from 20.03 to 17.93 % and increasing the level of some beneficial long-chain highly unsaturated FAs namely eicosapentaenoic acid (C20:5 n-3) from 6.47 to 7.27 %, docosapentaenoic acid (C22:5 n-3) from 1.42 to 1.56 % and docosahexaenoic acid (C22:6 n-3) from 1.26 to 1.35 %. Further increase in the SP inclusion level generally did not lead to desirable results. The SP inclusion in the fish diet had no significant impact on overall contents of n-3 and n-6 polyunsaturated FAs in fish fillet. However, the total highly unsaturated FAs (HUFAs) and n-3 HUFAs levels, UFAs/SFAs ratio and n-3/n-6 index were increased from 11.25, 10.65, 3.98 and 0.57 to 12.13, 11.56, 4.40 and 0.62 %, respectively, as a result of 5 wt% SP loading. In general, it can be concluded that SP inclusion up to 5 wt% of loading in rainbow trout culture can be beneficial in terms of FAs compositions of the fish fillet.     

The growth and gonadal maturation of the African catfish, Clarias gariepinus (Burchell) broodstock fed differently heated soybean-based diets

An investigation was carried out to assess the growth and gonadal maturation of Clarias gariepinus (Burchell) fed differently heated soybean diets in concrete tanks. Four hundred and eighty male and female C. gariepinus (182 ± 10 g for females and 208 ± 5 g for males) were randomly distributed in groups into hapa nets. Iso‐nitrogenous (310 g kg^?1 crude protein) and iso‐caloric diets (355 Kcal kg^?1) prepared from raw soybean (D0) and soybean autoclaved for 5, 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30 min labelled D0, D5, D10, D15, D20, D25 and D30, were fed to the fish for 84 days. The fish meal based diet tagged DFM served as control. The male and female broodfish fed the fish‐meal‐based diet and diet D25 had significantly higher (P < 0.05) growth performance, gonad maturation, gonadosomatic index, relative fecundity and percentage egg fertilization and hatchability than the fish fed the other diets. The females had significantly higher (P < 0.05) weight increases and healthier condition over their male counterparts fed the same diets. This study showed that diet D25 was found to be the best substitute for fish meal that provided adequate nutrients required for the formation of genital products that produced strong offspring in C. gariepinus broodstock culture.     

Dietary green tea extract improves growth performance, body composition, and stress recovery in the juvenile black rockfish, Sebastes schlegeli

In this study, we evaluated the effects of dietary green tea ethanol extract (GTE) supplementation on growth performance, body composition, and stress recovery of the juvenile black rockfish, Sebastes schlegeli. The fish (mean body weight, 8.1 ± 2.0 g) were fed fish meal diets that included 0 % (control), 1, 3, and 5 % GTE for 8 weeks. Weight gain, specific growth rate, feed efficiency, and protein efficiency rate were measured and compared among the fish in the different groups. The whole body and liver lipid compositions of fish fed the control diet were higher than those of the fish fed the GTE diets. Lysozyme activity in the plasma samples of fish fed the GTE diet showed an increasing trend in a dose-dependent manner. After administrating anesthesia (2-phenoxyethanol), the stress recovery time differed significantly between the control and the 3 and 5 % GTE diet groups and the mortality of fish fed on the GTE diet was significantly lower than that of the control group. In addition, plasma glucose levels in the fish fed the 3 % GTE diet showed a rapid recovery. Our results showed that the addition of GTE to the fish diet improved lipid utilization, lysozyme activity and stress recovery, and reduced total cholesterol levels in a dose-dependent manner.     

Effect of different dietary protein and lipid levels on growth performance, body composition of juvenile red swamp crayfish (Procambarus clarkii)

We evaluated the effect of dietary protein and lipid on growth and body composition in juvenile red swamp crayfish (Procambarus clarkii). Nine groups of crayfish were fed nine experimental diets containing three levels of protein (24, 27, and 30 %) and three levels of lipid (4, 7, and 10 %) for 8 weeks. We used a 3 × 3 factorial model with four replicates and 12 crayfish (initial average weight, 2.52 ± 0.04 g) per replicate. We measured weight gain ratio (WG), specific growth rate (SGR), and body composition. WG and SGR were significantly (P < 0.05) affected by dietary lipid but not significantly (P < 0.05) affected by dietary protein. When grouped by lipid levels, the WG of crayfish fed diets containing 7 % lipid was higher than that of crayfish fed diets containing 4 or 10 % lipid. The diet containing 30 % protein and 7 % lipid promoted the most efficient growth (WG: 483.38 %, SGR: 3.14 % day^?1). Dietary protein and lipid had no effect on condition factor or the viscous content (VC). Dietary protein, but not lipid, had a significant (P = 0.038) effect on the muscle content (MC). Crayfish fed a diet containing 27 % protein and 4 % lipid had the highest (P < 0.05) MC (16.16 %). Dietary protein levels also had a significant (P = 0.04) effect on the shell content (SC). SC was higher in crayfish fed a 30 % protein diet than in those fed 24 or 27 % protein. Proximate analysis suggested that crayfish fed a diet containing 27 % protein had a significantly higher nutritive composition than fish fed 24 or 30 % protein. Dietary protein also affected both whole body and muscle dry matter (DM) content. Similarly, both dietary protein and lipid affected whole-body crude lipid. Hepatopancreas DM, lipid content, and protein content were affected by dietary lipid. In conclusion, a diet containing 4–7 % lipid and 27 % protein with a protein to digestible energy ratio of 17–21 g protein·MJ^?1 appeared optimal.     

Growth,tissue metabolites and digestive functionality in Sparus aurata juveniles fed different levels of macroalgae,Gracilaria cornea and Ulva rigida

The aim of this study was to evaluate the inclusion of two macroalgae as dietary ingredients on growth, body composition, intermediate metabolism, intestinal enzymes and gut histology of Sparus aurata juveniles. Six isocaloric and isonitrogenous diets incorporating 5%, 15% or 25% of Gracilaria cornea or Ulva rigida meal were tested against a control diet. Duplicate groups of fifteen fish (14 g) were fed the experimental diets for 70 days. Growth performance showed an inverse linear relationship with the inclusion level of Gracilaria. Feed conversion ratio increased significantly in fish fed 25% Gracilaria. Ulva presented a quadratic relationship with the lowest SGR at 15% of inclusion. Fish fed 25% Ulva exhibited significantly lower lipid content than those fed control diet. Overall, metabolites did not show differences with specimens fed control diet, except for plasmatic glucose and muscle lactate. Intestinal proteolytic activity was reduced with the macroalgae inclusion level, but all fish showed the same enzyme pattern. The histological study revealed no negative effect on liver and intestine structure by the macroalgae inclusion. The present work demonstrated that these ingredients can be used in practical diets for sea bream, but a more comprehensive research is needed to determine the optimum dietary level in a longer feeding trial.     

Replacement of fish oil with soybean oil in diets for juvenile Chinese sucker (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Myxocyprinus asiaticus</Emphasis>): effects on liver lipid peroxidation and biochemical composition

This study was designed to evaluate the effect of the replacement of fish oil (FO) by soybean oil (SO) on growth performance, liver lipid peroxidation, and biochemical composition in juvenile Chinese sucker, Myxocyprinus asiaticus. Fish (13.7 ± 0.2 g) in triplicate were fed five experimental diets in which 0% (FO as control), 40% (SO40), 60% (SO60), 80% (SO40), and 100% (SO100) FO were replaced by SO. The body weight gain of fish fed SO40, SO60, or SO80 diet was similar to FO group, but diets that have 100% soybean oil as dietary lipid significantly reduced fish growth (P < 0.05). Although the level of SO resulted in increasing crude lipid content of the liver, the level of SO did not significantly alter the hepatosomatic index (HSI). Indicators of peroxidation, such as vitamin E (V_E) and thiobarbituric acid-reactive substance (TBARS) contents, were changed as increasing dietary SO. It was shown that the inclusion of SO in the diets increased V_E concentrations, but reduced TBARS in the liver and total cholesterol (T-CHO) in the plasma. Linoleic acid (LA) and linolenic acid (LNA) significantly increased in fish liver fed diets that contained SO, but eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), and the ratio n-3/n-6 were significantly reduced by the inclusion of dietary SO (P < 0.05). Our results indicated that the inclusion of SO increased the hepatic V_E content and reduced lipid peroxidation in fish. However, diet containing 100% SO as dietary lipid could reduce growth performance. Thus, we recommended that 40–80% SO can be used as dietary lipid to replace FO for juvenile Chinese sucker.     

Interactions between dietary docosahexaenoic acid and other long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids on performance and fatty acid retention in post-smolt Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar)

A study with varying dietary inclusion levels (1, 5, 10, 15 and 20 g kg^?1) of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA; 22:6n-3) was conducted with post-smolt (111 ± 2.6 g; mean ± S.) Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) over a 9-week period. In addition to the series of DHA inclusion levels, the study included further diets that had DHA at 10 g kg^?1 in combination with either eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA; 20:5n-3) or arachidonic acid (ARA; 20:4n-6), both also included at 10 g kg^?1. An additional treatment with both EPA and DHA included at 5 g kg^?1 (total of 10 g kg^?1 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids, LC-PUFA) was also included. After a 9-week feeding period, fish were weighed, and carcass, blood and tissue samples collected. A minor improvement in growth was seen with increasing inclusion of DHA. However, the addition of EPA further improved growth response while addition of ARA had no effect on growth. As with most lipid studies, the fatty acid composition of the whole body lipids generally reflected that of the diets. However, there were notable exceptions to this, and these implicate some interactions among the different LC-PUFA in terms of the fatty acid biochemistry in this species. At very low inclusion levels, DHA retention was substantially higher (~250 %) than that at all other inclusion levels (31–58 %). The inclusion of EPA in the diet also had a positive effect on the retention efficiency of DHA. However, EPA retention was highly variable and at low DHA inclusion levels there was a net loss of EPA as this fatty acid was most likely elongated to produce DHA, consistent with increased DHA retention with additional EPA in the diet. Retention of DPA (22:5n-3) was high at low levels of DHA, but diminished with increasing DHA inclusion, similar to that seen with DHA retention. The addition of EPA to the diet resulted in a substantial increase in the efficiency of DPA retention; the inclusion of ARA had the opposite effect. Retention of ARA was unaffected by DHA inclusion, but the addition of either EPA or ARA to the diet resulted in a substantial reduction in the efficiency of ARA retention. No effects of dietary treatment were noted on the retention of either linolenic (18:3n-3) or linoleic (18:2n-6) acids. When the total n-3 LC-PUFA content of the diet was the same but consisted of either DHA alone or as a combination of EPA plus DHA, the performance effects were similar.     

Comparative nutritional evaluation of differentially processed mucuna seeds [Mucuna pruriens (L.) DC. var. utilis (Wall ex Wight) Baker ex Burck] on growth performance, feed utilization and body composition in Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus L.)

A fish feeding trial was conducted in a warm‐water recirculating system for 8 weeks to assess the nutritive value of processed mucuna seeds as a dietary protein replacement for fish meal in practical diets of tilapia. Diets 2–6 contained mucuna seeds processed as follows: raw, soaked in water, soaked in sodium bicarbonate solution (0.07%), soaked in ascorbic acid solution (0.1%) or soaked in water containing 3% of freeze‐dried moringa leaf powder, followed by autoclaving. The mucuna seed meals were then used to replace 25% of the total dietary protein in each diet. The performance of fish fed these diets was compared with fish fed a fish meal‐based control diet (diet 1), which contained 35% protein. All diets were prepared to be isonitrogenous and isoenergetic. Each treatment had three replicates, using seven fish per aquarium, with a mean initial body weight of 3.9 ± 0.06 g. Fish were fed five times about their maintenance level (3.0 g feed × body weight (kg)^?0.8 day^?1), and no mortality was observed during the experiment. The growth rate, feed conversion ratio and protein productive value of fish fed diets 1, 3, 4, 5 and 6 were similar. However, with regard to energy retention and apparent net lipid utilization, the values observed in fish fed diet 1 were similar to those of fish fed diets 5 and 6, and diet 6, and significantly higher than other dietary groups. Fish fed diet 2 showed a significantly (P < 0.05) reduced growth performance, higher carcass moisture and ash contents, and lower levels of lipid and energy compared with all other dietary groups. Fish fed diet 2 had a significantly lower plasma cholesterol level compared with other diets. However, no significant variation of muscle cholesterol was found between the dietary groups. Even though the hepato‐somatic index of the fish fed diets 3, 4, 5 and 6 was significantly lower than diet 1, these values appeared to be significantly higher compared with fish fed diet 2. The present study indicates that the inclusion of mucuna seed meal (replacement of 25% of total dietary protein of feed) after soaking in any one of the tested solutions followed by autoclaving significantly improved the growth performance and feed utilization of tilapia compared with that of the raw seeds. Moreover, these values were similar to the performance obtained with the fish meal‐based control diet 1. This might be due to the relative reduction of anti‐nutrients, particularly the non‐protein amino acid 3, 4‐dihydroxyphenylalanine, and increased palatability and nutrient availability of processed beans.     

Complete replacement of fish meal by other animal protein sources on growth performance of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Clarias gariepinus</Emphasis> fingerlings

To completely replace the fish meal by a mixture of earthworm and maggot meals, experimental diets were tested during 42 days on Clarias gariepinus fingerlings. Five isoproteic and isoenergetic diets (40 % crude protein and 17.9 ± 0.3 kJ g^?1) including the control diet (D1) based on fish meal, were formulated. All these diets satisfied the essential amino acids requirements of C. gariepinus fingerlings. These diets were tested on triplicate groups of 50 fishes (initial body weight: 3 ± 0.1 g) bred in tank (0.5 m³). The approximate ratios 2:5; 1:4; 1:12 and 0:1 between the earthworm meal and the maggot meal were used, respectively, to formulate four diets D2, D3, D4 and D5 without fish meal. After the feeding period, significant differences (P < 0.05) were observed on growth, feed utilization between control diet (D1) and test diets (D2–D5). Fish fed earthworm- and maggot-based diets were grown better than those fed the control diet. Survival and feed utilization were not significantly affected by the ratio between earthworm meal and maggot meal in the test diets. Lipid content was higher in carcass and fillet of fishes fed earthworm- and maggot meals-based diets than that of those fed fish meal-based diet. This study indicates that when the ratio 2:5 between the earthworm meal and the maggot meal is used to entirely replace fish meal and the ratio lysine/arginine of the diet is inferior to 1, the growth performances and feed utilization of Clarias gariepinus fingerlings are improved.     

Growth,feed utilization,and liver histology of juvenile Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) fed diets containing increasing levels of swine fat

Due to predictions that the expanding aquaculture sector cannot continue to rely on finite marine stocks for fish oil, there have been several research works within the aquafeed industry to find sustainable alternatives for dietary lipid sources. This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of a range of inclusion levels of rendered swine fat on the growth performance and liver histology of juvenile Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus. Fish (initial weight ~ 20 g) were randomly stocked into twelve 1 m³ nylon mesh hapas and fed isoenergetic and isonitrogenous diets containing rendered swine fat at varying inclusion levels of 0% (Control), 5% (SF5), 7% (SF7), or 10% (SF10) for 84 days. The control diet contained 5% fish oil as the lipid source. At the end of the trial, there were no significant differences between the final weights of the fish that were fed the control (38.01 ± 0.76) and SF5 diets (37.85 ± 0.68), and both groups recorded significantly higher (P < 0.05) specific growth rates relative to the SF7 and SF10 groups. Specific growth rates ranged from 0.59% day^?1 (SF10) to 0.75% day^?1 (Control and SF5). The fish that were fed the SF7 and SF10 diets had significantly (P < 0.05) larger livers relative to the control and SF5 fish. Histological examination further revealed significant liver alterations in the SF7 and SF10 fish, as evidenced by hepatocyte nuclei migration, hepatic vacuolation, and varying degrees of steatosis. Calculations of profit indices showed that the SF5 diet offers the best economic viability, taking into consideration both the monetary values of fish produced and cost of feed fed over the trial period. The results of this study indicate that rendered swine as a sole lipid source in juvenile Nile tilapia diets can be included at 5% without depressing fish growth.     

Effects of diets containing a bacterial protein meal on growth and feed utilisation in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

Triplicate groups of rainbow trout with initial weight 361 g were fed either a fish meal based control diet or diets containing 9, 18 or 27% bacterial protein meal (BPM) or 9% of an autolysate (AU) of the BPM. No significant treatment effects were found on specific growth rates (SGR), feed intake, feed efficiency ratio (FER), or retention of nitrogen, amino acids or energy. The apparent digestibility coefficients (ADC) of nitrogen, energy and most indispensable amino acids decreased when BPM was included in the diet. The ADC of lipid, sum of amino acids, arginine, lysine, threonine and most of the dispensable amino acids were reduced at 27% BPM inclusion compared to the control, 9% and 18% BPM diets. None of the ADC estimated was different in the 9% AU diet compared to the 9% BPM diet. The loss of nitrogen and energy in faeces per kg gain increased as the dietary BPM or AU levels increased, and the energy used for activity and maintenance was higher in fish fed the 27% BPM diet than in fish fed the other diets (P < 0.05). There were no significant differences in the urea concentrations in plasma, liver and muscle, whereas the uric acid level in plasma was elevated in trout fed the 27% BPM diet. Histological evaluation of tissue from the stomach, pyloric caeca, mid-intestine and distal intestine did not reveal any diet-related morphological changes.In conclusion, no significant differences in growth and feed efficiency were found in the rainbow trout fed diets containing up to 27% BPM, and the AU did not increase fish performance compared to the BPM. Based on the data from this study, at levels up to 27% dietary inclusion, BPM is a good replacement for fish meal in diets for rainbow trout.     

Growth,hematological and biochemical indices of common carp <Emphasis Type="Italic">Cyprinus carpio</Emphasis> fed diets containing corn gluten meal

The effects of replacing fish meal (FM) with corn gluten meal (CGM) on growth and physiological performance were evaluated in common carp (Cyprinus carpio). Six experimental diets were formulated by substituting 0 (control), 20, 40, 60, 80, and 100% CGM protein for FM protein. The concentrations of dietary protein in the experimental diets were 27.8–29% and the P:E ratios were 14.7–15.46 mg/kJ. Eighteen fish with an initial weight of 13.5?±?0.1 g were allocated to each of 18 circular tanks (450 L) to give triplicate groups for each dietary treatment. The fish were fed to satiation for 8 weeks. At the end of the feeding trial, growth indices, body proximate composition, and hematological and biochemical parameters were measured. Blood samples were taken from six fish in each tank. Final weight and total length were significantly higher in fish fed 100% CGM (27.8?±?1.2 g and 11.9?±?0.3 cm) than for those fed the control (22.7?±?1.4 g and 10.9?±?0.5 cm) or 20% CGM (22.3?±?1.2 g and 11?±?0.4 cm) diets. No effect of FM replacement by CGM was observed for condition factor or hepatosomatic index (P?>?0.05). The highest value of protein productive value (14.31?±?0.65) was observed in fish fed 20% CGM (P?<?0.05). There were no significant differences in percentage body moisture and fat, but percentages of protein and ash were significantly different among experimental groups; the highest values of protein (15.6?±?0.24%) and ash (3.01?±?0.26%) were recorded in fish fed 40% CGM. For hematological parameters, the highest number of white blood cells (4.1?±?0.1?×?10³ mm^?3) was observed in fish fed 100% CGM (P?<?0.05). In addition, the highest hematocrit (42.1?±?0.7%) and triglyceride (294.11?±?23.82 mg dl^?1) were seen in fish fed the diet containing 40% CGM, while 80% CGM gave the highest cholesterol level (204.44?±?9.0 mg dl^?1; P?<?0.05). Replacement of FM with CGM had no negative effects on growth and physiological parameters of common carp fingerlings in this short (8 weeks) trial, suggesting that it may be feasible to replace FM with CGM in diets formulated for juvenile common carp.     

Comparative nutritional evaluation of raw, methanol extracted residues and methanol extracts of moringa (Moringa oleifera Lam.) leaves on growth performance and feed utilization in Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus L.)

The suitability of raw and methanol‐extracted moringa (Moringa oleifera Lam.) leaf meal to replace 10%, 20% and 30% of the total fishmeal‐based dietary protein in tilapia feeds was tested. Ten isonitrogenous and isocalorific feeds (35% crude protein and 20 MJ kg^?1 gross energy), denoted as diets 1 (fishmeal‐based control), 2, 3, 4 (containing 13%, 27% and 40% raw moringa leaf meal), 5, 6, 7 (containing 11%, 22% and 33% methanol‐extracted moringa leaf meal), and 8, 9, 10 (containing methanol‐soluble extracts of the raw moringa leaf meal at the same level as would have been present in diets 2, 3, 4) were prepared. Forty tilapia (16.7±2.4 g), kept individually, were fed the experimental diets (four fish per treatment) at the rate of 15 g feed per kg metabolic body weight (kg^0.8) per day. A reduction in the growth performance was observed with an increasing level of raw moringa leaf meal (diets 2–4), whereas inclusion of methanol‐extracted leaf meal (diets 5–7) had no significant (P<0.05) effect on the growth performance compared with the control (diet 1). The growth performance of fish fed diets 8–10 containing methanol extracts of the moringa leaf meal were also similar to the control. The chemical composition values of the gained weight showed that lipid accretion decreased with increased inclusion of moringa leaves, and ash content increased. Dietary moringa methanol extracts reduced protein accretion, but had no effects on lipid and ash contents compared with the control. The inclusion of raw, methanol‐extracted residues and methanol extracts of the moringa leaf meal (diets 3 and 4, 5, 6 and 7, and 8 respectively) reduced the plasma cholesterol content significantly. Similarly, a significant reduction in muscle cholesterol was observed in fish fed the diets 4, 8, 9 and 10. It was concluded that the solvent‐extracted moringa leaf meal could replace about 30% of fishmeal from Nile tilapia diets.     

Effects of dietary fish oil substitution with mixed vegetable oils on growth and fillet fatty acid composition of juvenile Caspian great sturgeon (Huso huso)

The objective of this study was to determine the effects of fish oil replacement with dietary vegetable oils on growth performance, chemical composition and fatty acids profiles in fillets of farmed Caspian great sturgeon juveniles Huso huso (26.97 ± 0.49 g). Five isonitrogenous and isolipidic diets were formulated, containing 10 % of added oil. The diet with 100 % kilka fish oil (Caspian tyulka, Clupeonella caspia) was the control. Fish oil was substituted by 50 % of vegetable oils consisting of an equal share of sunflower and soybean oils (diet A), sunflower and canola oils (diet B) and soybean and canola oils (diet C). In diet D, 100 % of fish oil was replaced with vegetable oil (1:1:1 ratio of sunflower oil, soybean oil and canola oil). Significant differences (P > 0.05) were not detected during 60 days feeding trial in final body weight, weight gain, condition factor, specific growth rate, feed conversion rate, protein efficiency ratio and the chemical composition of fillet (crude protein, crude lipid, moisture and ash). Generally, the fatty acids composition of fish fillets was reflective of the dietary lipid sources. These results indicate the feasibility of substituting fish oils with the mixture of vegetable oils in diets of juvenile H. huso without negative influence on growth providing optimum ratios of n-3/n-6 and n-3/18:1n-9 is met in the diet.     

Effects of replacing fish meal with soybean meal and peanut meal on growth,feed utilization and haemolymph indexes for juvenile white shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei,Boone

An 8‐week feeding trial was conducted to evaluate the effects of replacing fish meal (FM) with soybean meal (SBM) and peanut meal (PM) on growth, feed utilization, body composition and haemolymph indexes of juvenile white shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei, Boone. Five diets were formulated: a control diet (FM30) containing 30% fish meal and four other diets (FM20, FM15, FM10 and FM5) in which protein from fish meal was substituted by protein from SBM and PM. The dietary amino acids of diets FM20, FM15, FM10 and FM5 were equal to those of the diet FM30 by adding crystalline amino acids (lysine and methionine). Each diet was randomly assigned to triplicate groups of 30 shrimps (initial weight = 0.48 g), each three times daily. The results indicated that shrimp fed the diets FM15, FM10 and FM5 had poor growth performance and feed utilization compared with shrimp fed the control diet. No difference was observed in feed intake, survival and body composition among dietary treatments. The plasma total cholesterol level of shrimp and the digestibility of dry matter, protein and energy contained in the diets decreased significantly with increasing PM and SBM inclusion levels. Results of this study suggested that fish meal can be reduced from 300 to 200 g kg^?1 when replaced by a mixture of SBM and PM.     

Gastrointestinal and hepatic enzyme activities in juvenile silvery-black porgy (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Sparidentex hasta</Emphasis>) fed essential amino acid-deficient diets

As amino acids (AAs) are vital molecules in the metabolism of all living organisms and are the building blocks of enzymes, a 6-week feeding trial was conducted for determining the influence of dietary essential amino acid (EAA) deficiencies on pancreatic, plasma, and hepatic enzyme activities in silvery-black porgy (initial weight 4.7?±?0.01 g) juveniles. Eleven isoproteic (ca. 47%) and isoenergetic (ca. 20.5 MJ kg^?1) diets were formulated including a control diet, in which 60% of dietary nitrogen were provided by intact protein (fish meal, gelatin, and wheat meal) and 40% by crystalline AA. The other 10 diets were formulated by 40% reduction in each EAA from the control diet. At the end of the experiment, fish fed with threonine-deficient diet showed the lowest survival rate (P?<?0.05), whereas growth performance decreased in fish fed all EAA-deficient diets, although the reduction in body growth varied depending on the EAA considered. Pancreatic enzymes (trypsin, lipase, α-amylase, and carboxypeptidase A) activities significantly decreased in fish fed the EAA-deficient diets in comparison with fish fed the control diet (P?<?0.05). Fish fed with the arginine-deficient diet had the highest plasma and liver alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, and alkaline phosphatase levels (P?<?0.05). Plasma and liver lactate dehydrogenase and superoxide dismutase showed the highest and lowest values, respectively, in fish fed the arginine and lysine-deficient diets (P?<?0.05). Plasma metabolites were significantly affected by dietary EAA deficiencies (P?<?0.05). The results of this study suggesting dietary EAA deficiencies led to reduction in growth performance as well as pancreatic and liver malfunction. Furthermore, arginine and lysine are the most limited EAA for digestive enzyme activities and liver health in silvery-black porgy.     

The effect of fish size and stocking density on the weaning success of pond-cultured pikeperch Sander lucioperca L. juveniles

The effect of initial fish size (small with TL = 40.3 ± 2.3 mm and W = 0.42 ± 0.15 g, medium with TL = 56.2 ± 2.7 mm and W = 1.66 ± 0.4 g, and big with TL = 71.0 ± 3.2 mm and W = 2.95 ± 0.65 g) and stocking density of identical fish with TL = 40.3 ± 2.3 mm and W = 0.42 ± 0.15 g (1; 2; 4; 8 fish l^?1) on weaning success was evaluated in pond-cultured pikeperch. The trial was divided into weaning (12 days) and post-weaning (16 days) periods. Small juveniles reached significantly higher specific growth rate (SGR = 1.6 ± 0.2 % day^?1) and survival rate (S = 81.7 ± 2.7 %) and lower cannibalism (C = 3.0 ± 0.75 %) compared to medium and large juveniles (SGR = 0.3–0.5 % day^?1, S = 65.3–76.5 %, C = 6.5–7.5 %) during the weaning period. The higher survival rate was found at the two higher densities (S = 72.0–79.1 %) during the weaning period. The lowest survival rate (S = 38.9 ± 2.7) was observed at the lowest fish density. Fish stocking density did not affect growth, condition, or cannibalism rate during the weaning period. Similar trends of growth, survival, and cannibalism of weaned juveniles were observed during the post-weaning period. A mass weaning trial verified experimental results showing small pikeperch juveniles to reach satisfactory growth rate (SGR = 1.4 ± 0.1 and 7.2 ± 0.2 % day^?1), survival (S = 78.7 ± 3.0 % and 97.6 ± 1.0 %), and cannibalism (C = 4.0 ± 1.5 % and 2.5 ± 1.0 %) rates during the weaning and post-weaning periods. No body or fin deformities of weaned juveniles were observed.