Replacement of fish meal and oil by plant feedstuffs in juvenile pacific white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei)

The present study, four practical isonitrogenous (39.0%) and isolipidic (8.2%) diets were formulated to evaluate the replacement of both fish meal and fish oil with alternative protein (soybean and corn gluten meal) and lipid (canola, linseed and soybean oil) sources in Pacific white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) diets. Diet 1 and diet 3 (D1-D3) were formulated with fish meal while Diet 2 and diet 4 were formulated with plant protein (soya and corn gluten meal). D3 and D4 were formulated with blend of plant oils (canola, linseed and soybean oil: 30%, 40% and 30%, respectively) as replacement for fish oil. Juveniles (3.6 g mean initial weight) were stoked in circular tanks (0.38 m2) with 20 shrimp per tank and fed experimental diets 5 times a day using automatic feeders for a 60 day. Mean final weight, weight gain, percent weight gain, specific growth rate, feed conversion ratio, protein efficiently ratio were evaluated final values for these parameters ranged from 10.9 to 11.7 g, 211.2 to 231.4%, 1.9 to 2 %g/day, 3.1 to 3.8, 28.1 to 34.3, respectively. Apparent digestibility coefficients for crude protein and lipid were range 74.3-80.7% and 79.4-85.2%, respectively, among all diets group. It can be concluded that plant protein/oil feedstuffs were utilized as efficiently as, or better than, animal protein/lipid feedstuffs.KeyWords: Litopenaeus vannamei, animal proteins, plant proteins, vegetable oils,digestibility