Hybrid sturgeon 'AL' (Acipenser naccarii×Acipenser baeri) diets: the use of alternative plant protein sources

• Published in: Aquaculture research Vol. 43; no. 2; pp. 161 - 166
• Main Authors: Sicuro, Benedetto, Gai, Francesco, Daprà, Franco, Palmegiano, Giovanni B
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01-01-2012
• Subjects: Acipenser naccarii; body composition; corn gluten; growth performances; pea meal; sturgeon feeding
• ISSN: 1355-557X; 1365-2109
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2109.2011.02812.x

In this experimentation, corn gluten (CG) and pea meal (PM) were tested as potential protein sources in hybrid sturgeon ‘AL’. One hundred and twenty‐eight hybrid sturgeons ‘AL’ (Acipenser naccarii × Acipenser baeri) (initial body weight 364.8 ± 4.5 g) were utilized with four experimental diets and four replicates each; the experimental design was 4 × 4. Four isonitrogenous [crude protein=40% dry matter (DM)] and isoenergetic (gross energy=20 MJ kg−1 DM) diets were formulated containing different levels of CG with or without PM and tested against a control diet that was fish meal (FM) based. Diets were as follows: CG55 contained 55% of corn gluten; diet CG55PM25 contained 55% CG and 25% PM; diet CG45PM25 contained 45% of corn meal and 25% of PM; and diet FM was control, based on FM. Fish fed with the PM diet showed lower values of feed conversion ratio (FCR) and specific growth rate (SGR) (FCR=4.53 ± 2.51 in the CG55PM25 diet; FCR=4.09 ± 1.45 in the CG45PM25 diet; SGR=0.20 ± 0.07 in the CG55PM25 diet; SGR=0.19 ± 0.11 in the CG55PM25 diet). The results of tissue proximate composition confirmed the results obtained from productive traits. This study indicates that CG meal but not PM could be utilized as a substitute of FM in hybrid sturgeon ‘AL’ nutrition.