| Abstract: | The objective of the present study was to evaluate the effect of plant‐ingredient‐based feeds on fillet fatty acid profiles, proximate composition, carcass traits, and sensory characteristics of three Indian major carps (IMCs), Catla catla, Labeo rohita, and Cirrhinus mrigala, when fed at different levels of their body weight. An experimental feed was prepared with only plant ingredients. The IMCs were fed twice daily at 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, and 2.5% of their body weight for 150 d in 0.06‐ha earthen pond polyculture systems. The maximum growth and best feed utilization was achieved with feeding at 2% of fish biomass in the ponds. Fillet yield and lipid recovery increased significantly (P < 0.05), with increasing feeding level up to 2% of body weight and plateaued thereafter. In fillets, eicosapentaenoic acid (20:5n‐3) and docosahexaenoic acid (22:6n‐3) concentration increased with increasing feeding levels. Carcass traits, sensory characteristics, and consumer acceptance of IMC fillets were not influenced by feeding plant‐ingredient‐based feeds at different feeding rates. |
