Relative contribution of alternative proteins to the growth of Juvenile Cobia, Rachycentron canadum (Linnaeus)

Five isonitrogenous and isocaloric diets were fed to juvenile cobia, to assess the relative contribution of different proteins (fish meal, soybean meal, corn gluten and beer yeast) to the growth of cobia. The dietary effects on nitrogen and carbon turnover and on the isotopic diet-consumer discrimination factors (Δ15N and Δ13C) were also assessed. Growth results showed that the final body weight, growth rate, feed conversion ratio and protein efficiency ratio of cobia fed diets with alternative protein were significantly lower (P < 0.05) than cobia fed diet formulated with 100% fish meal. The estimated half-lives of nitrogen and carbon ranged between 9–11 days and 6–8 days, respectively, with significant differences among treatments (P < 0.05). Δ15N ranged between 0.0–1.2‰ and −0.1–1.6‰ in whole fish and muscle and Δ13C ranged between 3.8–5.1‰ and 4.0–5.1‰ in whole fish and muscle respectively. Diets were formulated with low levels of dietary nitrogen (10%) supplied by alternative protein sources substituting fish meal. The relative contributions of the dietary nitrogen supplied from these sources to the growth of whole fish and muscle tissue ranged between 4.9–5.2% and 5.9–7.7% respectively. Results indicated that growth accounted for the majority of observed isotopic change in animals under all treatments. In whole animals and muscle tissue, isotopic change due to metabolism occurred faster for carbon stable isotopes than for nitrogen stable isotopes. Cobia fed diets formulated with alternative proteins showed reduced nitrogen turnover rate and increased Δ15N.