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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Stoneville, Mississippi » Warmwater Aquaculture Research Unit » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #364581
Research Project: Evaluating Nutritional Requirements, Identifying Alternative Ingredients and Improving the Production Environment for Hybrid and Channel Catfish Production

Location: Warmwater Aquaculture Research Unit

Title: Response of pond-raised fingerling hybrid catfish, Ictalurus punctatus x Ictalurus furcatus, to dietary protein concentrations and sources

Author
item LI, MENGHE - Mississippi State University
item WISE, DAVID - Mississippi State University
item MISCHKE, CHARLES - Mississippi State University
item KUMAR, GANESH - Mississippi State University
item LUCAS, PENELOPE - Mississippi State University

Submitted to: Journal of the World Aquaculture Society
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/10/2018
Publication Date: 10/1/2018
Citation: Li, M., Wise, D., Mischke, C., Kumar, G., Lucas, P. 2018. Response of pond-raised fingerling hybrid catfish, Ictalurus punctatus x Ictalurus furcatus, to dietary protein concentrations and sources. Journal of the World Aquaculture Society. 49(5):912-918.

Interpretive Summary: This study examined four experimental diets with different protein concentrations and sources for pond-raised fingerling hybrid catfish, ' Ictalurus punctatus × ' Ictalurus furcatus. A 35% protein diet with fishmeal was used as the control diet. Test diets were 32 and 28% all-plant-protein diets and a 28% protein diet with porcine meat, bone, and blood meal. Small fingerlings with a mean initial weight of 2.9 g/fish were stocked into 20 earthen ponds (0.04 ha) at a density of 172,970 fish/ha. They were fed once daily to apparent satiation for 107 d. No significant differences were observed for total diet fed, gross yield, final weight, survival, or condition factor among dietary treatments. However, fish fed the 28 and 32% all-plant-protein diets had a significantly higher feed conversion ratio than fish fed the 35% protein diet with fishmeal. There were no significant differences in chlorophyll a and nitrite concentrations in the pond water, but ponds receiving the 35% protein diet had significantly higher ammonia than those receiving 28% protein diets. Economic analysis suggested potential cost savings by using low-protein and all-plant-protein diets for hybrid catfish fingerling production.

Technical Abstract: This study examined four experimental diets with different protein concentrations and sources for pond-raised fingerling hybrid catfish, ' Ictalurus punctatus × ' Ictalurus furcatus. A 35% protein diet with fishmeal was used as the control diet. Test diets were 32 and 28% all-plant-protein diets and a 28% protein diet with porcine meat, bone, and blood meal. Small fingerlings with a mean initial weight of 2.9 g/fish were stocked into 20 earthen ponds (0.04 ha) at a density of 172,970 fish/ha. They were fed once daily to apparent satiation for 107 d. No significant differences were observed for total diet fed, gross yield, final weight, survival, or condition factor among dietary treatments. However, fish fed the 28 and 32% all-plant-protein diets had a significantly higher feed conversion ratio than fish fed the 35% protein diet with fishmeal. There were no significant differences in chlorophyll a and nitrite concentrations in the pond water, but ponds receiving the 35% protein diet had significantly higher ammonia than those receiving 28% protein diets. Economic analysis suggested potential cost savings by using low-protein and all-plant-protein diets for hybrid catfish fingerling production.