ARS | Publication request: GROWTH, FEED CONVERSION, FILLET PROXIMATE COMPOSITION, AND RESISTANCE TO EDWARDSIELLA ICTALURI OF CHANNEL CATFISH, BLUE CATFISH, AND THEIR RECIPROCAL F1 HYBRIDS FED 25% AND 45% PROTEIN DIETS

Submitted to: Annual Meeting World Aquaculture Society
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: February 19, 1997
Publication Date: N/A

Technical Abstract: Juvenile channel catfish, blue catfish and their reciprocal F1 hybrids were fed practical-type diets containing 25 and 45% protein during a 10 week trial to determine the effects of genotype, dietary protein level, and genotype x dietary protein level interaction on growth, feed conversion ratio (FCR), fillet proximate composition, and resistance to Edwardsiella ictaluri. Rankings of genotypes for absolute weight gain, percent weight gain, and FCR (best to worst) were channel > channel female x blue male = blue > blue female x channel male for the 25% protein diet; and channel > channel x blue > blue x channel = blue for the 45% diet. Diet did not affect growth or FCR of channel catfish, but growth was faster and FCR better for blues and both hybrids fed the 25% than those fed the 45% diet. Channel catfish additive genetic and maternal effects were favorable, and heterosis was negative for growth and FCR. After adjusting for effects of fish size, genotype had no effect on fillet composition. Fillet protein was higher for all genotypes, and fillet lipid was lower for blues and hybrids fed the 45% diet than for fish fed the 25% diet. Genotype x dietary protein level interactions observed for growth, FCR, and fillet lipid appeared to be due to poor palatability of the 45% diet to blues and both hybrids. Survival (76-93%) and antibody levels (0.10-0.24 OD) after E. ictaluri were not affected by genotype or diet. Hybridization or introgressive breeding of blue and channel catfish would not improve the traits measured relative to purebred channel catfish for the fish strains and diets studied.