The investigation possibilities of using whiting meal instead of pelagic fish meal in russian sturgeon (Acipenser gueldenstaedtii Brandt, 1833) diet

This study was carried out to determine the possibilities of using whiting meal on growth performance and body composition of russian sturgeon (Acipenser gueldenstaedtii). Mean weights were 1475±04.75 g the fish; pelagic fish meal were fed along 90 days with four different groups of experimental diets containing control group feed (0%) (C) and whihungting meal feed (MU) (10%, 20 and 30%). At the end of the experiment, the highest mean live weight was reached 2183±12.36 g in MU 20, this group was followed by 2176±15.53 g with MU 10%, 2065±18.60 g with MU 30%, 2109±18.96 g (C), respectively. The difference between the MU 20 group and the other groups was found istatistically significant (P<0,05) in terms of feed weight, feed efficiency and protein efficiency ratios but was found similarity in terms of feed conversion ratio and specific growth rates. At the end of the experiment, the condition factor (CF), hepatosomatic index (HSI), viscerosomatic index (VSI) and gonadosomatic index (GSI) values were not affected by the addition of whiting meal, also did not lead to a significant change on the meat quality of the whiting meal. At the end of this research, it was found that the use of 20% of whiting flour in sturgeon fish-feed brings significant contribution to fish growth in consideration of evaluation criteria of growth performance.