Nutrition and feeding of tambaqui (Colossoma macropomum)

Abstract

Tambaqui is the main native fish species farmed in Brazil and, due to favorable husbandry characteristics, the culture of this species is continually increasing with economic importance. This review summarizes the current knowledge on nutrition and feeding of tambaqui in order to guide future studies in these areas of research. In the wild, tambaqui feeds according to the rainfall regime, and morphophysiological adaptations allow the species to explore a wide variety of food items. There are many studies assessing protein and energy requirements of tambaqui, however, results differ significantly. In general, not much information is available on nutritional requirements or feeding of tambaqui in intermediate and final grow-out phases as well as for breeders and larvae. Most studies focus on tambaqui from 1 to 100 g. The majority of the feed ingredients tested are only locally available and in small amounts, which limits their use by the feed industry. Further studies are required to assess the inclusion level and digestibility of feedstuffs with higher potential to feed tambaqui.