Comparative Evaluation of Different Animal Protein Source in Juveniles of Pleoticus Muelleri (Crustacea, Penaeoidea)

Abstract

A study was conducted to evaluate alternative protein supplements that could be used to reduce the cost of formulated diets for shrimp. Marine proteins, such as fish meal, squid meal, and bivalve meal, are considerably more expensive than byproduct meals such as meat and bone meal. The objective of this study was to compare the growth, survival, and body composition of juvenile Pleoticus muelleri fed diets containing different levels of meat and bone meal as a substitute of the marine fish meal. Feeding trials were carried out on early juveniles (0.70 ± 0.05 g initial weight) held in 150 l glass aquaria (33% salinity, 20°C, 12:12 h photoperiod, 20 shrimp/m2 density). Each diet (control, PL1, PL2, PL3, PL4) was tested in three replicate groups of 10 shrimps during 50 days. The juveniles were obtained from hatchery-raised postlarvae (wild broodstock from Mar del Plata, Argentina) at Nagera Station, dependent of the Marine Science Department (Mar del Plata National University, Argentina). Four isoproteic and isolipidic diets (34% crude protein) were prepared to contain 0, 11, 15 and 23% meat and bone meal in substitution of fish meal. The control group was fed with fresh squid mantle. Percentage increment in mean weight varied between 81 and 103%. Survival rates ranged from 50 to 76%. No significant differences were detected in final weight gain or survival among dietary treatments (P < 0.05). Whole body moisture, ash, crude protein, and lipid content of shrimps were not affected by diet (P < 0.05). The feeding experiment suggests that meat and bone meal can be utilized by P. muelleri as a suitable replacement for fish meal in a formulated diet.