Effect of squid meal in dry pellets on the spawning performance of striped jack Pseudocaranx dentex

SUMMARY: This study was carried out to investigate the effects of dietary squid meal or a combination of squid meal and krill meal as part of the protein source in dry pellets on the spawning of striped jack Pseudocaranx dentex . Five months prior to spawning, 7-year-old fish were divided into three groups of 10 fish each (male : female ratio, 5 : 5). The control group was fed a raw fish mix (RF) and the other two groups were fed either steam-dry pellets with squid meal replacing 50% of their fish meal (fs-DP) or steam-dry pellets containing equal proportions of fish, squid and krill meals (fsk-DP). Feeding was carried out once every other day in 5 × 5 × 5 m floating net cages and the fish were transferred to 65 m³ indoor tanks for spawning. Eggs and yolksac larvae produced were evaluated for their quality and those obtained during the first 2 weeks of spawning were sampled for chemical analysis. The fish had an average bodyweight of 3.5 ± 0.4 kg at spawning. Although egg production of the RF group was significantly higher ( P < 0.05) than that of the dry pellet groups, the fs-DP group produced the best quality eggs with higher fertilization and hatching rates. The fsk-DP group had the lowest egg production and quality. Lipid classes and fatty acid compositions of eggs and yolksac larvae were dependent on the broodstock diets. These results show that the combination of fish meal and squid meal in dry pellets for striped jack improved egg quality but not production whereas the combination of fish meal, squid meal and krill meal was not effective.