Optimum replacement of fishmeal with soybean meal in diet for Macrobrachium rosenbergii (De Man 1879) cultured in low saline water

Özet

A feeding trial of substituting soybean meal (SBM) for fish meal (FM) for the giant freshwater prawn (Macrobrachium rosenbergii) was conducted in low saline water ponds. Four different iso-nitrogenous diets (Control, Diet-1, Diet-2, Diet-3) were fed to the juveniles stocked at a rate of 2/m2 in each pond. The control diet had 36% FM as a sole source of protein, and Diet-1, Diet-2, Diet-3 were prepared by replacing 30%, 50% and 80% of fish meal protein by SBM protein, respectively. Throughout the experiment, water and soil variables were found to be within the acceptable range for prawns. The maximum average weight (26.51±0.20 g) was observed in prawn fed on Diet-3, while the minimum weight (21.72±0.61 g) was measured for Diet-1. The prawns fed Diet-3 displayed higher specific growth rate (1.31±0.27%/day, SGR) and survival (71.97%) than the Control group. Protein efficiency ratio (1.51, PER) and feed conversion ratio (2.52, FCR) in prawns fed Diet-3 were higher and lower, respectively, but the difference was insignificant compared to the other treatments.