This Is AuburnElectronic Theses and Dissertations

Development of Alternative-protein-based Diets for the Intensive Production of Florida pompano Trachinotus carolinus L.

Date

2011-05-02

Author

Rossi, Waldemar, Jr.

Type of Degree

thesis

Department

Fisheries and Allied Aquacultures

Abstract

The Florida pompano industry is a promising enterprise in the United States and with commercial production progressively increasing. However, the success of such an enterprise is dependent on the supply of environmentally sustainable and cost-effective diets able to promote optimum growth with reduced dependence on fishmeal as the primary dietary protein source. To facilitate the development of sustainable and cost-effective diets for Florida pompano, a series of three studies evaluating poultry by-product meal, and a meat and bone meal blend as alternative protein sources to fishmeal in diets for this species was conducted. Primary objectives of the first and second studies were to evaluate the isonitrogenous replacement of fishmeal (initially comprising 15% of the diets) by poultry by-product meal or meat and bone meal blend in pompano diets (40% crude protein and 8% lipid), containing 50% soybean meal as the primary protein source. Based on the results from the first two studies, the third study was conducted to evaluate the potential requirement for the free amino acid taurine in the fishmeal-free diets for Florida pompano. The results of the first two studies demonstrated that poultry by-product and meat and bone meals are suitable for replacing 66% (10 g/100g) of dietary fishmeal without significant effects on fish performance. However, the total replacement of dietary fishmeal led to significantly lower diet digestibility and poorer pompano performance. In the third study, the supplementation of taurine to the fishmeal-free diets based on poultry by-product meal or meat and bone meal blend from the first and second studies led to a significant improvement of fish performance. Pompano fed diets with at least 0.25% or higher taurine content demonstrated improved growth and feed efficiency relative to fish fed diets without taurine supplementation. The results of these studies demonstrated that Florida pompano can accept and assimilate fishmeal-free diets based on high levels of soybean meal in combination with poultry by-product meal or meat and bone meal blend and that taurine is likely dietary indispensable for this species.