Growth, feed efficiency and body composition of juvenile cobia (Rachycentron canadum Linnaeus, 1766) fed increasing dietary levels of shrimp protein hydrolysate

Abstract

A shrimp protein hydrolysate (SPH) containing 894.2 g kg−1 crude protein (CP) and 54.3 g kg−1 total lipids was tested as a partial replacement for fish meal (FM) in diets of juvenile cobia. The effects of increasing dietary levels of SPH on the survival, weight gain (WG), specific growth rate (SGR), feed conversion ratio (FCR), nitrogen retention efficiency (NRE) and daily feed intake (DFI) of cobia with initial body weight of 11.9 g were evaluated. Four isoproteic (from 431.1 to 439.7 g kg−1) and isoenergetic (20 825–21 347 MJ kg−1) diets were formulated to contain 0 (Control), 120, 240 or 360 g kg−1 of dietary CP derived from SPH. Survival, WG, SGR, FCR, NRE and DFI ranged from 90 to 100%, 40.2–56.5 g, 4.7–6.1% day−1, 1.04–1.54, 26.3–44.0% and 4.7–6.0% fish−1 day−1 respectively. Survival and DFI were not affected by the dietary treatments. On the other hand, fish fed the control diet and the one containing 120 g kg−1 SPH had higher WG, SGR and FCR. Nitrogen retention efficiency was significantly higher for fish fed diets 0 and 120. It is concluded that up to 120 g kg−1 of SPH in cobia diets can be used with no significant effects on feed utilization and fish performance.