Abstract
A six month feeding experiment was conducted to evaluate the nutritional value of plant and animal proteins as alternative protein sources for fish meal to one year old yellowtail. An anchovy meal based diet was formulated as a control, and three types of non-fish meal diets were prepared by replacing the fish meal completely with plant proteins such as soy protein concentrate, defatted soybean meal and corn gluten meal, and pork meal together with supplementation of taurine, digestive enzyme mixture and feeding stimulants. The test diets were fed to 750 g one year old yellowtails to satiety three times a week for six months. There were no differences in total feed intake, weight gain, and mortality amongst the dietary treatments. Moreover, physiological and pathological abnormalities were not observed in the fish fed non-fish meal diets during the rearing period. These findings suggest that non-fish meal diets for yellowtail can be developed by formulating pork meal, soy protein concentrate, defatted soybean meal and corn gluten meal together with supplements of taurine, digestive enzyme mixture and feed stimulants.
