Effects of feeding frequency and ration level on growth, feed utilization and nitrogen waste output of cuneate drum ( Nibea miichthioides) reared in net pens

• Published in: Aquaculture Vol. 271; no. 1; pp. 350 - 356
• Main Authors: Wang, Yan, Kong, Ling-Jun, Li, Kai, Bureau, Dominique P.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 03.10.2007; Elsevier Science; Elsevier Sequoia S.A
• Subjects: Animal aquaculture; animal growth; Animal productions; Aquaculture; Argyrosomus amoyensis; ash content; Biological and medical sciences; body composition; Cuneate drum; feed conversion; feed intake; Feed utilization; Feeding frequency; Fish; fish culture; fish feeding; Fish hatcheries; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General aspects; Growth; lipid content; mariculture; marine fish; mortality; Nibea miichthioides; Nitrogen; nitrogen retention efficiency; Physical growth; protein content; Ration; Sciaenidae; weight gain; Ration; Feeding frequency; Growth; Cuneate drum; Feed utilization; Wastes; Nitrogen; Feeding; Aquaculture
• ISSN: 0044-8486; 1873-5622
• DOI: 10.1016/j.aquaculture.2007.03.022

Two independent 8-week feeding trials were carried out to optimize feeding regime for cuneate drum reared in net pens. In Trial I, triplicate groups of fish weighing 38.3 ± 0.2 g fish − 1 (mean ± S.E.) were fed a practical feed [15 kJ digestible energy (DE) g − 1 ] to satiation in 1 meal every other day (0.5 meal d − 1 ), 1 meal d − 1 , or 2 meal d − 1 . Ration level of the fish fed at 1 meal d − 1 was approximately 4.5% body weight daily (% BW d − 1 ). Feed intake, weight gain (WG) and final body weight (FBW) decreased with the reduction of feeding frequency from 1 to 0.5 meal d − 1 , but no significant differences were observed in WG and FBW between fish fed at 1 and 2 meal d − 1 . The fish fed at 1 meal d − 1 had relatively high nitrogen retention efficiency (NRE) and low feed conversion ratio (FCR) and total nitrogen waste output (TNW) compare to the fish fed at 2 or 0.5 meal d − 1 . At the end of Trial I, there was no significant difference in body composition among fish fed at different frequencies. In Trial II, triplicate groups of fish weighing 30.9 ± 0.3 g fish − 1 were fed twice daily at 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6% % BW d − 1 with the same practical feed. Weight gain, FBW and NRE increased, while FCR and TNW decreased, with increasing ration from 1 to 4% BW d − 1 , and further increasing ration from 5 to 6% BW d − 1 led to increase in WG, FBW, FCR and TNW, but a decline in NRE. At the end of Trial II, the fish fed at 1% BW d − 1 had the highest moisture and ash contents but lowest lipid content, while the fish fed at 6% BW d − 1 had the highest lipid content but lowest moisture content, among the treatments. These results suggest that cuneate drum fingerlings reared in net pens can in practice be fed 1 meal d − 1 to satiation. For the strain of fish and the prevailing environmental conditions used in this study, optimal ration was estimated at about 5% BW d − 1 .