Effects of dietary inclusion of yacon, ginger and blueberry on growth, body composition and challenge test of juvenile rockfish (Sebastes schlegeli) against Edwardsiella tarda

Effects of dietary inclusion of yacon, Polymnia sonchifolia (YC), ginger, Zingiber officinale (GG), and blueberry, Vaccinium ashei (BB), on growth, body composition and challenge test of rockfish against Edwardsiella tarda compared to ethoxyquin were investigated. Three hundred and sixty fish were randomly distributed into 12 flow-through tanks. Four experimental diets were prepared: the control diet (Con) with 0.1 g/kg ethoxyquin, and YC, GG and BB diets. Each diet was assigned to triplicate tanks of fish and hand-fed for 8 weeks. Externally normal fish after fourth and eighth weeks of feeding trial were infected with Edwardsiella tarda for challenge test. Weight gain and specific growth rate (SGR) of fish fed the YC diet were greater than those of fish fed all other diets. Feed efficiency, protein efficiency ratio and protein retention of fish fed the YC diet were higher than those of fish fed all other diets. In the both fourth and eighth weeks of infection trials, mortality of fish fed the Con diet was higher than that of fish fed all other diets. In conclusion, dietary inclusion of YC, GG and BB increased weight gain and SGR of fish. YC, GG and BB for 4 and 8 weeks lowered mortality of fish at occurrence of E. tarda.