Mullet culture in qatar: effects of replacing fish meal With soybean meal on growth rates and feed utilization efficiency of liza macrolepis (pisces: mugilidae)

Abstract

The effects of replacing fish meal (FM) with soybean meal (SBM) in practical diets fed to fingerling mullet, Liza macrolepis, on the growth rates, feed utilization and body composition were investigated. Five isocaloric (450 kcal/100 g), isonitrogenous (40% cp) diets were prepared. SBM replaced FM at 0, 25, 50, 75, and 100% levels. The diets were fed to triplicate groups of L. macrolepis fingerlings (3.25 g mean weight) twice a day for 60 days. Fish growth rates, feed conversion (FC), protein efficiency ratio (PER) and protein production value (PPV) were deteriorated with increasing SBM level in the diets. With the exception of body protein, carcass compositions were significantly affected by dietary treatments. Body water was positively correlated to SBM levels, while carcass lipkis and ash showed negative correlations.