Effect of Partial or Total Replacement of Fish Meal by Plant Protein Sources on Productive Performance of Gilthead Sea Bream (Sparus aurata L.) Fry under the Water Environment of Qaroun Lake

Abstract

This experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of partial or total replacement of fish meal by plant protein (PP) sources (0%, 50% and 100% PP) with not amino acids were added in diets on growth performance, survival rate, feed utilization and fish body chemical composition of gilthead Sea bream (Sparus aurata L.) fry under the water environment of Qaroun Lake. Survival rate was within the range 65–83.75%. The results cleared that the partial or total replacement of fish meal protein by plant protein had significant effects (P0.05) on the growth performance parameters such as final weight, total weight gain, daily gain and specific growth rate. The highest growth performance parameters were obtained with the diet contained 0% of plant protein (100% fish meal protein (FM)) compared with the other diets (50 and 100% PP). Feed intake values were highest with diet containing (100% FM). Also, the best feed conversion ratio (FCR) was recorded with diet containing (100% FM). While, the worst FCR was recorded with diet containing (100% PP). The lowest crude protein and ether extract body content were with diet contained (100% PP). But, the highest body content of crude protein and ether extract were with diet (100% FM), however moisture body content value was highest with diet (100% PP). Accordingly, the improvement of all growth performance parameters in diets containing higher levels of fish meal in Sea bream. And growth performance parameters were decreased with increasing plant protein in diets without not amino acids were added under the experimental conditions.