Using shrimp head meal as protein replacement of fish meal in diets for juvenile of Totoaba macdonaldi (Gilbert, 1890)

Abstract

In diets for Totoaba macdonaldi juveniles (26.3 ± 4.7g y 13.6 ± 1cm) the partial replacement of fishmeal protein (HP) with shrimp head meal (HCC) was evaluated, over their growth, survival, fed conversion (FCA) and chemical composition of tissues and the apparent digestibility coefficient of dry matter (CDA), protein (CDAP) and lipids (CDAL) of these diets. The HCC used were from the whole shrimp head sun dried (F) and smashed shrimp head dehydrated in a hot air drier. Diets were isoproteic (55.5% crude protein), isolipídic (15% lipids) and isocaloric (4.6 kcal g-1) replacing 0% (control diet; DC), 15% (F15 and M15) and 30% (F30 and M30) of the HP protein by the HCC. At 57th day, survival with HCC (99.44 ± 1.92%) was higher than DC (88.89 ± 3.85 %). The gain weight, weight specific growth (TCE) and total intake were not statistically different (P > 0.05) between organisms feed with HCC, however with the M30 diet the TCE had higher average (0.99 ± 0.06) and growth (19.82 ± 1.64 g/fish). With diet M30 the FCA was the best significantly (1.61 ± 0.13) and the higher CDA (66.18 ± 1.28), CDAP (86.51 ± 0.53) and CDAL (72.29 ± 1.10). It concluded that replaced protein of HP by HCC in diet for juvenile totoaba improved the growth and CDAs, yielding better results with the inclusion of macerated HCC with a replacement level of 30%.