Growth of Pacific White Shrimp Fed Diets Containing a Mixture of Soybean Meal and Tuna Silage

Abstract

AbstractThis study evaluated the use of tuna by‐product silage (TBS) in diets based on soybean meal (SBM) for the Pacific white shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei. A diet based on fish meal (FM, positive control) only was compared with five isonitrogenous formulations (35% crude protein) based on SBM containing increasing dietary levels of TBS (0, 14.9, 29.8, 44.7, or 59.6%) replacing 0% (TBS0, negative control), 25% (TBS25), 50% (TBS50), 75% (TBS75), or 100% (TBS100), respectively, of the protein derived from SBM. A diet containing tuna by‐product meal (TBM) as the sole protein source and one using a commercial feed as reference were also included. Each diet was tested on shrimp in triplicate over 41 d using 70‐L fiberglass tanks in a closed recirculating system. Each tank was stocked with 10 juvenile shrimp (mean initial weight, 1.09 g). Shrimp fed diet TBS25 grew as well as those fed diets with 100% of the protein from FM. The growth differences were mainly attributable to differences in the nutritional quality of diets. Whole‐body composition was significantly affected by diet. The broken‐line regression model using thermal growth coefficient data allowed us estimate that the maximum inclusion level of TBS in shrimp fed the SBM‐based diet was 26.31%. To reduce the cost of shrimp feed, the ratio of 75% SBM and 25% TBS proteins seems to be the best formulation for juvenile Pacific white shrimp diets.