Effectiveness of exogenous digestive enzymes supplementation on the performance of rabbitfish (Siganus rivulatus)

Abstract

The current study was established to test the possibility of using exogenous digestive enzymes (EDE) in rabbitfish (Siganus rivulatus) diets. Five experimental diets containing 34% soybean meal were prepared and supplemented with EDE at 0, 1, 2, 3, and 4 g kg-1 diet. Fish with average initial weight (± 1.1 g) were fed the test diets for 74 days. Rabbitfish offered the diets with EDE supplements exhibited significantly (P<0.05) higher growth performance, feed intake, protein efficiency ratio, protein gain, and protein retention over the basal diet. But, no significant (P>0.05) differences were observed in carcass composition and somatic parameters index with EDE supplementation. The physiological condition of fish fed diets with EDE showed that the hematocrit (%), total plasma protein and total plasma globulin were significantly (P<0.05) higher in fish fed EDE than the control group. It can be concluded that the addition of EDE in rabbitfish diets improved the growth performance, feed efficiency and health condition.