COMPOUNDED DIETS FOR EARLY POSTLARVAL PENAEUS CALIFORNIENSIS

Abstract

ABSTRACTA series of two‐week experiments were performed to evaluate extruded, compounded diets and to determine the usefulness of single‐cell protein sources as replacements for fish meal in diets for Penaeid shrimp. The diets were compounded at two protein levels, 40 and 44%, using conventional feed ingredients with and without linolenic acid. The tests were conducted using early postlarval (16 mg) Penaeus Californiensis in a flow‐through system and the prepared diets were compared against brine shrimp nauplii (Artemia salina).Two types of yeast were evaluated, those from n‐paraffins (Toprina G) and brewer's yeast (Yeaco‐20). In addition, blood meal and soybean oil meal were used to partially replace fish meal in the test diets. When the yeasts were used at 10% of the diet, it was found that the shrimp achieved a larger mean final weight and exhibited better survival than either the Artemia control or the non‐yeast diets.Soybean oil meal was satisfactory as a replacement protein, but blood meal appeared to cause a depression in growth at all levels of inclusion. Of the two yeasts, the n‐paraffin yeast appears to be the better complement to the other diet ingredients.