Replacement of fish meal protein by surimi by‐product protein in the diet of blue gourami Trichogaster trichopterus fingerlings

• Published in: Journal of animal physiology and animal nutrition Vol. 97; no. 1; pp. 10 - 19
• Main Authors: Mohanta, K. N, Subramanian, S, Korikanthimath, V. S
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.02.2013; Wiley Subscription Services, Inc
• Subjects: Animal Feed - analysis; Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; Animals; blue gourami; crude protein; diet; Diet - veterinary; dietary protein; Dietary Proteins; digestibility; energy; fingerlings; fish culture; fish meal; Fish Products - analysis; Freshwater; growth; lipid content; nutrient requirements; nutrient retention; nutrient utilization; Perciformes - physiology; protein; protein efficiency ratio; rearing; replacement; specific growth rate; surimi; tanks; Trichogaster trichopterus; weight gain
• ISSN: 0931-2439; 1439-0396
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1439-0396.2011.01237.x

Based on the nutrient requirement of Trichogaster trichopterus, a fish meal–based basal diet with 350 g/kg diet crude protein and 16.7 MJ/kg energy was formulated, in which the fish meal protein was replaced by surimi by‐product protein at 0.0 (control), 12.5, 25, 50, 75 and 100% levels. The formulated diets were fed ad libitum to T. trichopterus fingerlings (4.80 ± 0.03 g) in triplicate groups for 45 days in a closed water system. Eighteen fibre‐reinforced plastic tanks with 200 l of water were used for rearing the fish. Weight gain, specific growth rate, feed/gain ratio, protein efficiency ratio, nutrient retention and digestibility (protein and energy) of fish were not affected (p > 0.05) up to 50% fish meal protein replacement level by surimi by‐product protein. While whole‐body protein content of fish was marginally decreased, the lipid content was increased with increase in surumi by‐product incorporation level in the diet. The study results suggest that the fish meal protein, which is scarce and costly nowadays, could be replaced up to 50% by surimi by‐product protein in the diet of blue gourami without hampering the growth and nutrient utilization of fish.