Optimizing dietary protein sources for Japanese sea bass (Lateolabrax japonicus) with an emphasis on using poultry by-product meal to substitute fish meal

Abstract

This study evaluated the potential of using poultry by-product meal (PBM) to replace fish meal in diets for Japanese sea bass, Lateolabrax japonicus. Fish (initial body weight 8.5 g fish−1) were fed six isoproteic and isoenergetic diets in which fish meal level was reduced from 400 g kg−1 (diet C) to 320 (diet PM1), 240 (diet PM2), 160 (diet PM3), 80 (diet PM4) or 0 g kg−1 (diet PM5), using PBM as the fish meal substitute. The weight gain (WG), specific growth rate, nitrogen retention efficiency, energy retention efficiency and retention efficiency of indispensable amino acids were higher in fish fed PM1, PM2, PM3 and PM4 diets than in fish fed diets C or PM5. The phosphorus retention efficiency was lower in fish fed PM3, PM4 and PM5 diets than in fish fed C, PM1 or PM2 diets. Fish fed diet PM5 had the highest feed conversion ratio, total nitrogen waste output (TNW) and total phosphorus waste output (TPW) among the treatments. No significant differences were found in the hepatosomatic index or body contents of moisture, lipid and ash among the treatments. Fish fed diet C had lower condition factor and viscerosomatic index than those of fish fed PM1, PM3, PM4 and PM5 diets. The results of this study indicate that using fish meal and PBM in combination as the dietary protein source produced more benefits in the growth and feed utilization of Japanese sea bass than did using fish meal or PBM alone as the dietary protein source. The dietary fish meal level for Japanese sea bass can be reduced to 80 g kg−1 if PBM is used as a fish meal substitute.