Carbohydrate and lipid digestibility of animal and vegetal ingredients and diets for juvenile Australian redclaw crayfish, Cherax quadricarinatus

Carbohydrate and lipid digestibility of three vegetal and four animal ingredients, and diets in which they were included, were evaluated for juvenile Australian redclaw crayfish, Cherax quadricarinatus. The ingredients were: soy paste, textured wheat, sorghum meal, sardine meals (67% and 58% crude protein), squid meal and red crab meal. A basal diet was formulated, and then seven experimental diets were created, including 150 g kg^?1 of each ingredient in the reference diet. Digestibility was measured in vivo, using chromic oxide as marker. A single‐factor, completely randomized experimental design with three replicates per treatment was performed. Mean carbohydrate digestibility of vegetal ingredients and the corresponding diets was better than carbohydrate digestibility of animal ingredients. Sorghum meal had a carbohydrate digestibility over 94%, and the diet in which it was included over 92%. Soy paste and wheat meals also presented excellent carbohydrate digestibility (around 88% for ingredients and over 90% for diets). Mean carbohydrate digestibility of animal ingredients and their corresponding diets were very poor (from 18% to 32%) and this affected the carbohydrate digestibility of diets in which they were included (87–89%). Lipid digestibility was also better for vegetal ingredients. Soy paste and wheat meal recorded values over 93% and their diets over 94%. Sorghum lipid presented slightly lower digestibility. Some of the animal ingredients, especially red crab, had an excellent lipid digestibility (92.1%).     

Carbohydrate and lipid digestibility of animal and vegetal ingredients and diets for the pre-adult redclaw crayfish, Cherax quadricarinatus (von Martens)

In vivo carbohydrate and lipid digestibility of four animal [sardine meals 67% and 58% crude protein (CP), squid meal and red crab meal] and three vegetal (soy paste, textured wheat and sorghum meal) ingredients and diets were evaluated in experimental diets for pre-adult redclaw crayfish, Cherax quadricarinatus . A reference and seven experimental diets were formulated, including 14.5% of each ingredient in the reference diet. A single factor, completely randomized experimental design with five replicates per treatment was done. Experimental organisms were pre-adult redclaw of 10±0.8 g. The best carbohydrate digestibilities were recorded for some vegetal ingredients such as sorghum and textured wheat (93.6% and 83.9%) and the corresponding diets (90.9% and 90.8%). For animal ingredients, carbohydrate digestibilities were very poor (from 12.3% to 41.1%), and the inclusion of these ingredients diminished the digestibility of the corresponding experimental diets as compared with the reference diet (86.3–89.2% vs. 89.9%). The highest lipid digestibility corresponded to red crab meal (97.5%). Textured wheat and soy paste meal also had excellent lipid digestibility (96.4% and 95.1%). The same tendency was found for the corresponding diets. The lowest percentages were obtained with 58% crude protein sardine meal (32.9%) and its diet (86.2%).     

亚硝酸盐对红螯光壳螯虾不同组织免疫相关酶活性及超微结构的影响

应用透射电镜技术,结合生物酶测定,研究了水体中不同浓度亚硝酸盐胁迫下红螯光壳螯虾肝胰腺、鳃和肌肉组织中免疫相关酶的活性变化,以及对肝胰腺和鳃的形态学影响。结果显示,与对照组相比,亚硝酸盐胁迫下,3种组织的ACP、AKP、SOD以及GSH-PX的活性都显著降低(P<0.05);随着亚硝酸盐浓度增加,酶活力呈现降低的趋势;鳃组织Na+,K+-ATPase和Ca2+,Mg2+-ATPase的活性也显示出随亚硝酸盐浓度升高而降低的趋势。超微结构显示,随着亚硝酸盐浓度增加,鳃角质层受损、断裂;上皮细胞排列疏松、空泡化;细胞器变形;鳃腔内也出现空泡化现象,血细胞变形。肝胰腺上皮细胞排列杂乱无章,细胞裂解,空泡化;微绒毛受损、断裂,肝小管间距扩大、结缔组织变得稀薄,血细胞变形;高浓度组R细胞的脂滴减少,核膜解体,细胞膜破裂,空泡化加剧;F细胞的核糖体减少,空泡化加剧,内质网水肿。研究说明亚硝酸盐对红螯光壳螯虾3种组织的免疫相关酶活产生影响,并损伤肝胰腺和鳃的形态学结构,影响其生物学功能。     

Intensification of redclaw crayfish Cherax quadricarinatus culture: I. Hatchery and nursery system

Intensification of an indoor hatchery and nursery system for the Australian redclaw crayfish Cherax quadricarinatus (von Martens) (Decapoda: Parastacidae) was obtained by increasing the surface area available for the crayfish juveniles and by synchronizing the age of the hatchlings held in each tank. The former improvement was facilitated by distributing an artificial seaweed-like material throughout almost the entire volume of small (275 l) hatching tanks. As the number of egg-bearing females was increased from 3 to 8 per hatching tank, the number of juveniles per liter also increased to as many as 6.5 juveniles/l, without reaching an apparent upper limit. The hatchlings were kept in the tanks for 75 days from the day females were found to be gravid and then harvested and graded according to size. The average juvenile weight at harvest was 0.34±0.04 g. The weight distribution of the juvenile males was not significantly different from that of the juvenile females on the day of harvest, and in both the distribution was positively skewed.     

Effect of different dietary protein and lipid levels on growth and survival of juvenile Australian redclaw crayfish, Cherax quadricarinatus (von Martens)

This study determined the effect of different dietary protein and lipid levels on growth and survival of juvenile redclaw Cherax quadricarinatus. Nine practical test diets were formulated to contain three crude protein (CP) levels [260, 310 and 360 g kg^?1, equivalent to 225, 260 and 296 g kg^?1 digestible protein (DP) respectively] at three crude lipid (CL) levels (40, 80 and 120 g kg^?1, equivalent to 38, 67 and 103 digestible lipids respectively), with digestible protein : digestible energy (DP : DE) ranging from 14.6 to 22.6 mg protein kJ g^?1. Three replicate groups of 15 crayfish (initial weight mean ± SD, 0.71 ± 0.13 g) per diet treatment were stocked in 40 L tanks, at 28 °C for 60 days. The highest mean weight, specific growth rate and biomass, with values of 7.0 g, 3.67% day^?1, and 370.2 g m^?2, respectively, were achieved by feeding a diet with P : L = 310 : 80 (P < 0.05). The treatments resulted in a survival rate of 80–91%, feed conversion ratio of 1.08–1.61 and protein efficiency ratio of 2.24–3.08. Results indicated that a diet containing 270 g kg^?1 DP (equivalent to 320 g kg^?1 CP), 75 g kg^?1 digestible lipid (DL) with a DP/DE of 18.4 mg protein kJ^?1, and 0.031 g protein per animal per day was optimum for juvenile C. quadricarinatus under the tested experimental conditions.     

饲料中非蛋白能源物质对红螯光壳螯虾幼虾生长、生理、生化指标的影响

在等蛋白质、等能量基础上,研究碳水化合物与脂类比例(CHO∶L)为10.75∶1、4.81∶1、2.66∶1、1.52∶1和0.87∶1的5组试验饲料对红螯光壳螯虾[初始体质量(1.72±0.01)g]相关生长、生理、生化指标的影响。8周试验结果表明,CHO∶L比例为2.66∶1时,红螯光壳螯虾的增重率、特定生长率和饲料利用率达到最高。高比例的CHO∶L(10.75∶1)和低比例的CHO∶L(0.87∶1)都会显著地抑制(P<0.05)红螯光壳螯虾的生长和饲料的利用。饲料脂肪水平为40～145 g/kg时,虾的脂肪酶和碱性磷酸酶活力显著升高(P<0.05),己糖激酶和丙酮酸激酶活力则呈显著降低趋势(P<0.05)。CHO∶L对虾胃蛋白酶活力影响显著(P<0.01),CHO∶L为2.66∶1和1.52∶1表现出比较高的活力,显著高于(P<0.05)其它试验组。碳水化合物为156.3～360.4 g/kg范围内,虾淀粉酶活力随饲料中碳水化合物的升高而显著升高(P<0.01)。红螯光壳螯虾增重率分别与饲料中碳水化合物和脂肪水平进行二次回归分析得出,红螯光壳螯虾对配合饲料中碳水化合物和脂肪的最适需求量分别为268.28和120.22 g/kg,相对应的CHO∶L为2.20∶1,且红螯光壳螯虾对碳水化合物的利用能力要高于对脂肪的利用。     

Prediction of apparent protein digestibility of ingredients and diets by in vitro pH-stat degree of protein hydrolysis with species-specific enzymes for juvenile Pacific white shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei

Aquafeed production faces global issues related to availability of feed ingredients. Feed manufacturers require greater flexibility in order to develop nutritional and cost-effective formulations that take into account nutrient content and availability of ingredients. The search for appropriate ingredients requires detailed screening of their potential nutritional value and variability at the industrial level. In vitro digestion of feedstuffs by enzymes extracted from the target species has been correlated with apparent protein digestibility (APD) in fish and shrimp species. The present study verified the relationship between APD and in vitro degree of protein hydrolysis (DH) with Litopenaeus vannamei hepatopancreas enzymes in several different ingredients (n = 26): blood meals, casein, corn gluten meal, crab meal, distiller's dried grains with solubles, feather meal, fish meals, gelatin, krill meals, poultry by-product meal, soybean meals, squid meals and wheat gluten. The relationship between APD and DH was further verified in diets formulated with these ingredients at 30% inclusion into a reference diet. APD was determined in vivo (30.1 ± 0.5 °C, 32.2 ± 0.4‰) with juvenile L. vannamei (9 to 12 g) after placement of test ingredients into a reference diet (35 g kg^− 1 CP; 8.03 g kg^− 1 lipid; 2.01 kcal g^− 1) with chromic oxide as the inert marker. In vitro DH was assessed in ingredients and diets with standardized hepatopancreas enzymes extracted from pond-reared shrimp. The DH of ingredients was determined under different assay conditions to check for the most suitable in vitro protocol for APD prediction: different batches of enzyme extracts (HPf5 or HPf6), temperatures (25 or 30 °C) and enzyme activity (azocasein): crude protein ratios (4 U: 80 mg CP or 4 U: 40 mg CP). DH was not affected by ingredient proximate composition. APD was significantly correlated to DH in regressions considering either ingredients or diets. The relationships between APD and DH of the ingredients could be suitably adjusted to a Rational Function (y = (a + bx)/(1 + cx + dx²), n = 26. Best in vitro APD predictions were obtained at 25 °C, 4 U: 80 mg CP both for ingredients (R² = 0.86; P = 0.001) and test diets (R² = 0.96; P = 0.007). The regression model including all 26 ingredients generated higher prediction residuals (i.e., predicted APD − determined APD) for corn gluten meal, feather meal, poultry by-product meal and krill flour. The remaining test ingredients presented mean prediction residuals of 3.5 points. A model including only ingredients with APD > 80% showed higher prediction precision (R² = 0.98; P = 0.000004; n = 20) with average residual of 1.8 points. Predictive models including only ingredients from the same origin (e.g., marine-based, R² = 0.98; P = 0.033) also displayed low residuals. Since in vitro techniques have been usually validated through regressions against in vivo APD, the DH predictive capacity may depend on the consistency of the in vivo methodology. Regressions between APD and DH suggested a close relationship between peptide bond breakage by hepatopancreas digestive proteases and the apparent nitrogen assimilation in shrimp, and this may be a useful tool to provide rapid nutritional information.     

Partial and total replacement of fish meal with soybean meal and brewer's grains with yeast in practical diets for Australian red claw crayfish Cherax quadricarinatus

Three feeding studies were conducted to evaluate the effects of total replacement of fish meal (FM) with a combination of soybean meal (SBM) and brewer's grains with yeast (BGY) in diets for two separate strains of juvenile Australian red claw crayfish. In Experiment 1, three practical diets were formulated to be isonitrogenous (40% protein) and isocaloric (4.0 kcal available energy/g diet) and contained either 25%, 10%, or 0% fish meal. Variable percentages of SBM (35%, 46.8%, and 79.8%, respectively) and BGY-35 (0%, 30%, and 5%, respectively) replaced the fish meal. In Experiments 2 and 3, four practical diets were formulated to be isonitrogenous (40% protein) and isocaloric (4 kcal available energy/g diet) containing 24% or 0% fish meal. Diet 1 contained 24% fish meal, 23% SBM, and 0% BGY-35. A variable percentage of SBM (56.75%, 47.75%, and 40.75%, respectively) and BGY-35 (10%, 20%, and 30%, respectively) replaced the fish meal in the remaining three diets.

In Experiment 1, after 8 weeks, juvenile red claw fed all three diets had no significant difference (P>0.05) in final weight, percentage weight gain, or survival, which averaged 7.90 g, 3848%, and 83%, respectively. In Experiment 2, after 8 weeks, juveniles fed all four diets had no significant difference in final weight, percentage weight gain, or specific growth rate which averaged 11.46 g, 977%, and 3.08%/day, respectively. Percentage survival was not significantly different among treatments and averaged 79%. In Experiment 3, after 8 weeks, juvenile red claw fed all four diets had no significant difference in final weight, percentage weight gain, or specific growth rate which averaged 16.22 g, 457%, and 2.34%/day, respectively. Percentage survival was not significantly different among treatments and averaged 98%.

These results indicate that fish meal and shrimp meal can be totally replaced with soybean meal and BGY in diets for juvenile red claw crayfish. This may allow for less expensive diets by red claw producers, which may increase profitability.     

Nutritional value of dry‐extruded blends of seafood processing waste and plant‐protein feedstuffs in diets for juvenile red drum (Sciaenops ocellatus,L.)

Six thermally processed blends were manufactured by dry‐extruding mixtures of seafood processing waste with either soybean meal (SBM) or distiller's dried grains with solubles (DDGS) at three different ratios (50:50, 60:40 and 70:30; wet basis). To assess the energy and nutrient digestibility of each blend, a digestibility trial was conducted using advanced red drum juveniles (~70 g). After computing the apparent digestibility coefficients for the mixtures, a comparative feeding trial evaluated replacement of menhaden fishmeal (FM) on digestible protein (DP) and digestible energy (DE) bases with the manufactured blends. A diet formulated to derive 70% of DP from FM and 30% from SBM served as a Control. Groups of 14 fish were stocked in 21, 110‐L aquaria operating as a recirculating aquaculture system, and treatments were randomly distributed in triplicate. Weight gain and feed efficiency of fish fed SBM 50:50, DDGS 50:50 and DDGS 60:40 were significantly lower compared to that of fish fed the Control diet. However, the inclusion of SBM 60:40, SBM 70:30 and DDGS 70:30 blends succeeded in partially replacing FM and reducing fish oil inclusion in the diet of red drum without compromising production performance.     

The effect of carbohydrate source, inclusion level of gelatinised starch, feed binder and fishmeal particle size on the apparent digestibility of formulated diets for spiny lobster juveniles, Jasus edwardsii

The development of cost-effective and digestible formulated diets is essential for the commercialisation of spiny lobster aquaculture. Large juvenile spiny lobsters, Jasus edwardsii (115 g), were used to measure the apparent digestibility of formulated diets with six different carbohydrate sources, three levels of gelatinised starch, three types of binder, and two ranges of particle size of fishmeal. Carbohydrate source, inclusion level and binder type all had a significant effect on the dry matter digestibility (ranging 61–79%) of formulated diets for J. edwardsii. The digestibility of the carbohydrates included at 35% by dry weight were: dextrin (99%), carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC; ~ 94%), native wheat starch (91%), gelatinised maize starch (84%), native potato (60%) and maize (59%) starches. Gelatinised maize starch inclusion level (ranging from 15% to 55% by dry weight) was negatively correlated with starch digestibility (ranging from 92% to 79% respectively). Dry matter digestibility of the diets was improved by using gelatine (73%) instead of alginate (68%) and agar (61%) as a binder. Nitrogen digestibility (ranging 82–89%) did not differ significantly among diets. Reducing the particle size distribution of the fishmeal from < 500 µm to < 106 µm did not improve digestibility. The results indicate that using digestible carbohydrate sources (dextrin, CMC, and native wheat starch) for energy, reducing the inclusion level of gelatinised starch, and using CMC or gelatine as binders improve the apparent digestibility of formulated diets. Furthermore, the results also indicate that the use of more soluble and pre-hydrolysed protein sources in diets for J. edwardsii may greatly improve digestibility which is critical in these spiny lobsters where overall food intake is limited.     

Effects of dietary protein to energy ratios on growth and body composition of juvenile Japanese seabass, Lateolabrax japonicus

A growth experiment was conducted to determine the optimal dietary protein to energy (P/E) ratio for juvenile Japanese seabass (initial average weight 6.26±0.10 g). Nine practical diets were formulated to contain three protein levels (36%, 41% and 46%), each with three lipid levels (8%, 12% and 16%), in order to produce a range of P/E ratios (from 19.8 to 28.6 mg protein kJ⁻¹). Each diet was randomly assigned to triplicate groups of 60 fish in sea floating cages (1.5×1.5×2.0 m). Fish were fed twice daily (06:30 and 16:30) to apparent satiation for 8 weeks. The water temperature fluctuated from 26.5 to 32.5 °C, the salinity from 32‰ to 36‰ and dissolved oxygen content was approximately 7 mg l⁻¹ during the experimental period. The results showed that the growth was significantly affected by dietary P/E ratio (P<0.05). Fish fed the diets with 46% protein (12% and 16% lipid, P/E ratio of 26.7 and 25.7 mg protein kJ⁻¹) had the highest specific growth rates (SGR) (4.26 and 4.24% day⁻¹). However, fish fed the diet with 41% protein and 12% lipid showed comparable growth (4.20% day⁻¹), and had higher protein efficiency ratio (PER), protein productive value (PPV) and energy retention than other groups (P<0.05). No significant differences in survival were found among dietary treatments. Carcass lipid content positively correlated with dietary lipid level irrespective of protein level and inversely correlated with carcass moisture content. Carcass protein and ash contents increased with increasing dietary lipid at each protein level. These results suggest that the diet containing 41% protein and 12% lipid with P/E of 25.9 mg protein kJ⁻¹ is optimal for Japanese seabass.     

Replacement of fish meal by meat and bone meal in diets for large yellow croaker, Pseudosciaena crocea

A growth experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of replacement of fish meal (FM) by meat and bone meal (MBM) in diets on the growth and body composition of large yellow croaker (Pseudosciaena crocea). Six isonitrogenous (43% crude protein) and isoenergetic (20 kJ g^− 1) diets replacing 0, 15, 30, 45, 60 and 75% FM protein by MBM protein were formulated. Each diet was randomly allocated to triplicate groups of fish in sea floating cages (1.0 × 1.0 × 1.5 m), and each cage was stocked with 180 fish (initial average weight of 1.88 ± 0.02 g). Fish were fed twice daily (05:00 and 17:30) to apparent satiation for 8 weeks. The water temperature ranged from 26.5 to 32.5 °C, salinity from 32 to 36‰, and dissolved oxygen content was approximately 7 mg l^− 1 during the experimental period. Survival decreased with increasing dietary MBM and the survival in the fish fed the diet with 75% protein from MBM was significantly lower than other groups (P < 0.05). There were no significant differences in specific growth rate (SGR) among the fish fed the diets with 0 (the control group), 15, 30 and 45% protein from MBM. However, SGR in the fish fed the diets with 60 and 75% protein from MBM were significantly lower than other groups (P < 0.05). No significant differences in feeding rate were observed among dietary treatments. The digestibility experiment showed that the apparent digestibility coefficients (ADC) of dry matter, protein, lipid and energy of MBM were significantly lower compared with those of FM (P < 0.05). Essential amino acid index was found to be correlated positively with SGR in the present study, suggesting that essential amino acid balance was important. Body composition analysis showed that the carcass protein and essential amino acids were not significantly affected by dietary MBM. The lipid and n-3 highly unsaturated fatty acid (n-3 HUFA) in fish muscle, however, significantly decreased with increasing dietary MBM. These results showed that 45% of FM protein could be replaced by MBM protein in diets of large yellow croaker without significantly reducing growth. It was suggested that the reduced growth with higher MBM was due to lower digestibility and imbalance of essential amino acids.