Location: Food Science and Market Quality and Handling Research Unit
Project Number: 6070-43440-013-004-N
Project Type: Non-Funded Cooperative Agreement
Start Date: Dec 1, 2023
End Date: Jun 30, 2025
Objective:
We aim to conduct a fish feeding trial with domesticated hybrid striped bass fed an 18% high-oleic peanut extruded diet for 16 weeks in collaboration with the Marine Aquaculture Research Center (MARC), NC State University. Fish feeding trials will be conducted to achieve proof of concept and validate the use of high-oleic peanuts as an alternative fish feed ingredient as compared to conventional fish meal or defatted soybean meal in the diets of domesticated hybrid striped bass. More importantly, we aim to determine the effect of high-oleic peanuts in the diet of domesticated hybrid striped bass on the fatty acid profile and nutrient composition of the fish fillets produced and intended for human consumption.
Approach:
To test our hypothesis, 600 juvenile domesticated hybrid striped bass will be randomly assigned to two isocaloric, isonitrogenous, isolipidic dietary treatments: Treatment 1 = conventional fish feed with 36% fish meal and Treatment 2 = conventional fish feed with 18% fish meal and 18% blanched high-oleic peanuts in a 16-week fish feeding trial. Fish will be fed to satiation 2-3 times per day, with treatments in triplicate replicates and 100 fish/tank (600 fish total). Prior to the onset of the feeding trial, fish will be fed a conventional fish diet for 2 weeks for baseline data. Fish growth (total length), body weight, and survival will be determined. At termination (16-week), feed efficiency (weight gain/dry matter fed) and protein efficiency ratio (g weight gain/g dietary protein) and whole-body proximate analysis will be determined. Also, filet meat samples will be collected for nutritional, fatty acid, and proximate analysis.
