Evaluation of cuphea meal as an ingredient replacement in channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus, diets.

摘要

Cuphea meal is a new, alternative feedstuff that has potential as a sustainable, economical replacement for wheat, rice, and corn ingredients in channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus, diets. Channel catfish fingerlings were fed a control diet containing wheat or two experimental diets containing 7.5% cuphea meal, or 12.5% cuphea meal for eight weeks to determine if cuphea meal could replace wheat products in catfish diets. Mean (+or-SE) weight gains were 317.8+or-28.8 g, 407.0+or-36.9 g, and 372.8+or-29.8 g for fish fed the control diet, the 7.5% cuphea meal diet, and the 15% cuphea meal diet, respectively, and there were no significant differences (P<0.05) among treatments. Mean (+or-SE) whole-body protein of fish fed the cuphea diets (13.3+or-0.66 and 14.5+or-0.21%) was significantly (P<0.05) higher than that of fish fed the wheat diet (12.7+or-0.44%). Cuphea meal enhanced body composition of juvenile channel catfish without affecting growth or survival. Therefore, cuphea meal is a promising candidate for replacement of wheat bran at the levels tested.