The effect of soya meal on reproductive and growth performance in pseudotropheus socolofi fish

Soybean meal is a feed raw material containing high ratio phytoestrogens. These herbal oestrogens may be effect on the growth, reproductive organs and genders of the organism by showing estrogenic or anti estrogenic properties. This study was carried out to determine the effects of the soybean diets, supplemented with different rations (soybean meal rates used in feed industry) on the reproduction and growth performance of Pseudotropheus socolofi. One male and 5 female fish having 5-9 g in initial of the study were randomly placed in each parallel. 5 experimental groups supplemented with soybean 3 %, 16 %, 27 %, 35 % and 44 % rates were formed as triplicate and the experimental groups were fed with these diets during 90 days. At the end of the experiment, the statistical differences in terms of mean weight and feed conversion rate were determined (P < 0.05), while differences between the groups were not determined as statistically in specific growth rate, weight gain and survival rate from the growth parameters data (P > 0.05). When the reproduction data were evaluated, the statistical differences were not found between groups with regard to fertilization rate, egg efficiency, egg opening rate, egg diameter, gonadosomatic index and percentage of broodstock spawning (P > 0.05). In conclusion, feeding with soybean meal up to 35% rate was not negatively effect the growth of Pseudotropheus socolofi and up to 44% of soybean meal use had no effect on reproduction.