Murat YT
The utilization of corn gluten meal (CGM) was evaluated as a partial fish meal (FM) substitute in practical diets for gilthead sea bream juveniles. Four test diets (isonitrogenous and isoca-loric, 52% protein and 10% lipid, 19 kJ/g diet) containing increasing levels of CGM were for-mulated to replace anchovy meal at levels of 0%, 10%, 20%, and 30%. Triplicate groups of ju-venile sea bream (initial body weight of 1.5 g) were reared in a Recirculating Aquaculture System (RAS) over 45 days at 18±2°C. Fish fed a diet containing 10% of CGM showed com-parable growth performance similar to the control diet containing FM as the sole protein source. No mortality was observed in all treatment groups. Dietary CGM inclusion levels of 20% and 30% showed lower growth performance, feed utilization, and protein efficiency com-pared to the control and the 10% CGM inclusion diets. However these values were not signifi-cantly different among fish fed the CGM10 and CGM20 diets. Economical analyses also con-firmed the growth related experimental results in terms of best profit obtained with the 10% CGM inclusion diet. Results in the present study showed that CGM alone without any amino acid supplements can substitute FM up to 10% with no adverse effects on growth performance, feed utilization, or economical inputs in gilthead sea bream juveniles.
