A Growth Assessment of Juvenile Abalone Haliotis laevigata Fed Enriched Macroalgae Ulva rigida

The experiment was conducted to assess the growth of juvenile greenlip abalone Haliotis laevigata fed a range of Ulva rigida diets with different nitrogen contents and an artificial pelleted diet. The minimal nutrient concentration resulting in significant enrichment of U. rigida was 2.25 mg N l^?1. The maximum nitrogen content obtained by U. rigida in this study was 6.099%, which resulted from an inorganic nutrient concentration of 7 mg N l^?1. However, no further significant increase in enrichment occurred from nutrient concentrations of 10 and 15 mg N l^?1. Abalone specific growth rate in shell length (SGR_L) and wet weight (SGR_W) and foot muscle yield were significantly higher for abalone fed the artificial diet compared to those fed any U. rigida diet. Abalone fed U. rigida enriched in less than 15 mg N l^?1 had similar growth rates compared to abalone fed unenriched U. rigida. Abalone fed the artificial diet contributed a higher percentage of weight gain into the valuable foot muscle. The foot muscle moisture content of abalone fed the artificial diet was significantly lower than that of abalone fed any U. rigida diet. The conclusions reached by this study should assist Australian abalone producers in assessing the potential benefits of using U. rigida as an effluent biofilter and subsequent food source for the commercially important juvenile greenlip abalone.     

Evaluation of potential of lupin meal as an alternative to fish meal in juvenile Penaeus monodon diets

An indoor feeding trial in a flow-through marine water system was performed to evaluate the feasibility of using dehulled lupin Lupinus albus seed meal as a protein source to replace fish meal in diets for the juvenile Penaeus monodon. Five isonitrogenous (40% crude protein) diets formulated by replacing 0, 25, 50, 75, and 100% of fish meal protein by lupin meal protein were fed to shrimp (mean initial weight of 4.32 ± 0.23 g) three times daily at a feeding allowance of 5% body weight per day for 42 days. Shrimp fed diets with 0, 25, 50 and 75% replacement had similar (P > 0.05) weight gain, dry matter feed intake, feed conversion ratio (FCR), protein efficiency ratio (PER), and apparent net protein utilization (ANPU). Shrimp fed the highest dietary inclusion level of lupin meal (100% replacement) had significantly (P < 0.05) lower responses for all the above parameters than shrimp fed all other diets. Survival was high (87–100%) and similar for all diets. Apparent dry matter digestibility (ADMD) of diets with 25, 50, 75 and 100% replacement of fish meal with lupin meal was similar (75.6–76.6%) and significantly (P < 0.05) higher than that of diet with 0% replacement (73.9%). Diets containing the two highest lupin inclusion levels (75 and 100% replacement) had significantly (P < 0.05) better apparent protein digestibility (APD) than those containing the two lowest lupin meal inclusion levels (0 and 25% replacement). There were no significant differences (P > 0.05) in whole-body composition (dry matter, protein, lipid and ash) of shrimp fed on the various diets. Pellet water stability was inversely related to level of lupin meal inclusion. It was found, in this study, that up to 75% protein of fish meal can be replaced with the protein of dehulled lupin seed meal in diets for juvenile P. monodon. The diet with total replacement of fish meal containing 40% lupin meal was utilized very poorly by the shrimp.     

Replacement of Soybean Meal by Lupin Meal in Practical Diets for Juvenile Penaeus monodon

The potential of lupin meal as an alternative protein source to soybean meal in isonitrogenous practical diets for the juvenile black tiger shrimp Penaeus monodon was evaluated through the studies of growth, digestibility and pellet water stability. Five isonitrogenous diets were formulated to contain 40% protein. Protein from dehulled Lupinus albus seed meal replaced 0, 25, 50, 75 and 100% of the protein from defatted soybean in the diets. Juvenile P. monodon (4.35 × 0.31 g) were assigned randomly and fed each test diet at a daily feeding rate of 5 % body weight for 42 d in triplicate tanks equipped with a flow-through sea water system. No statistically significant differences were observed in weight gain, feed intake, feed conversion ratio (FCR), protein conversion efficiency and apparent protein utilization of shrimp fed diets with 0, 25, and 50% replacement. Shrimp fed the diet with total replacement of soybean meal by lupin meal had the poorest performance (P < 0.05) with regard to the above parameters. Survival was similar (87%) for all dietary treatments. The apparent dry matter digestibility and apparent protein digestibility were similar for all diets ranging between 70.5 and 72.8% and 89.7 and 90.8%, respectively. There was no significant difference in whole body composition (dry matter, lipid, protein and ash) of shrimp on the various diets. The poorest pellet water stability was displayed by the diet with 100% replacement while the diet containing a combination of soybean meal and lupin meal (50% replacement) was the most stable. The results have demonstrated that dehulled lupin seed L. albus meal has good potential as a substitute protein source for up to 50% of the protein from defatted soybean meal and could be included up to 17% inclusion level in juvenile P. monodon practical diets with no adverse effects on growth, feed intake, FCR, survival, feed utilization, body composition, and digestibility coefficients of dry matter and protein.