Can fish oil incorporation in diet improve the growth performance of dusky grouper Epinephelus marginatus?

Abstract

This study evaluated the growth performance of dusky grouper fed with different fish oil proportion incorporated in a commercial diet (CD) with 8.8% Crude Lipid (CL). Diet 1 = CD with 0% oil; diet 2 = CD with 4% oil; and diet 3 = CD with 8.8% oil. Ninety fishes with 29.2 ± 1.3 g and 12.2 ± 0.7 cm were divided in nine 40 gal tanks, with ten fishes in each tank, three replicates to each diet, along 90 days. Water parameters (temperature, oxygen level, total ammonia and salinity) were maintained at specific ranges for the species. The 4% fish oil incorporation on dusky grouper diet provides better performance results comparing with fish feeds with distinct energetic levels.