International Journal of Marine Science 2016, Vol.6, No.25, 1-8
1
Research Article Open Access
Effects of Partial Replacement of Fishmeal with Seaweed (
Lobophora variegata
)
Meal on the Growth and Biochemical Composition of Commercial Important
Fish Asian Seabass
Lates calcarifer
(Bloch, 1790) Fingerlings
D. Udayasoundari
1
, S. Jeyanthi
2
, P. Santhanam
2
,
, A. Shenbaga Devi
2
, V. Shyamala
3
, N.Thangaraju
3
1 Department of Marine Biotechnology, School of Marine Sciences, Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli - 620 024, Tamil Nadu, India
2 Department of Marine Science, School of Marine Sciences, Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli - 620 024, Tamil Nadu, India
3 CAS in Botany, University of Madras, Chennai - 600 025, Tamil Nadu, India
Corresponding author email
International Journal of Marine Science 2016, Vol.6, No.25 doi
Received: 27 Apr., 2016
Accepted: 01 Aug., 2016
Published: 03 Aug., 2016
This is an open access article published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and
reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Preferred citation for this article
:
Udayasoundari D., Jeyanthi S., Santhanam P., Devi A.S., Shyamala V. and Thangaraju N., 2016, Effects of Partial Replacement of Fishmeal with Seaweed
(
Lobophora variegata
) Meal on the Growth and Biochemical Composition of Commercial Important Fish Asian Seabass
Lates calcarifer
(Bloch, 1790)
Fingerlings, International Journal of Marine Science, 6 (25): 1-8 (doi
Abstract
Seaweeds are large algae (macro algae) that grow in a brackishwater or marine environment. They are a valuable food
source and contain significant quantities of proteins, lipids, vitamins and minerals. Algae meals are alternative plant feedstuffs that
are increasingly being used in aqua feeds because of their nutritional quality, lower cost and availability. This study is an attempt
made on the effects of replacing fish meal with the brown seaweed (
Lobophora variegata
) on the growth and biochemical
composition (protein, lipids, carbohydrates) of Asian seabass
Lates calcarifer
fingerlings. Investigations on the biochemical
constituents and nutritive profile of the formulated feeds showed that seaweeds could be the better replacement for fish meal in
pelleted feeds. The seaweeds used in our study did not seem to affect the palatability of the diet for this carnivorous fish. Therefore,
reducing fishmeal inclusion levels and replacing fishmeal with cost-effective, widely available and sustainable feedstuffs are
considered essential for the future development of the aquaculture industry.
Keywords
Aquaculture; Seaweed; Fish Meal; Sea Bass;
Lates calcarifer
;
Lobophora variegata
1 Introduction
Fish is considered as the cheapest source of protein available for human (Tidwell and Allan, 2001). Traditionally,
animal protein sources, particularly fishmeal are used as the major ingredients of aqua feeds (Glencross
et al
.,
2007). Therefore for reducing fishmeal inclusion levels many plant like products have been suggested as an
alternative to fish meal (Caruso, 2015). Continuous efforts are being made by the nutritionist to reduce the feed
cost as a strategy to sustainable aquaculture. Finding alternative protein sources to replace fish meal in fish feed is
important if the growth of the aquaculture industry is to be sustained (Francis
et al
., 2001).
The increasing demand of fish meal from the expanding global aquaculture industry and other terrestrial seafood
and meal producers, coupled with unstable supply, has inflated the price of the fish meal, making it crucial to look
for alternative sustainable aquacultural feed ingredients that are locally available with equivalent nutritional value
(Hardy, 2010; Tacon
et al
., 2011).
Seaweeds are excellent dietary sources of vitamins, proteins, carbohydrates, trace minerals and other bioactive
compounds (Kumar
et al
., 2008). Due to their low contents in lipid, high concentration in polysaccharides, natural
richness in minerals, polyunsaturated fatty acids and vitamins as well as their content in bioactive molecules,
marine algae are known to be a good source of healthy food. In aquatic animals, seaweeds have been used as a
dietary supplement for seabass (Valente
et al
., 2006), snakehead (Hashim and Mat-Saat, 1992) and shrimp
(Cruz-Suarez
et al
., 2000). Seaweeds grow in the intertidal as well as in the sub tidal area up to a certain depth
where very little photosynthetic light is available. They flourish wherever rocky, coral or suitable substrates are
available for their attachment. They are found growing in large quantities along the coasts of India. The major
