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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Stoneville, Mississippi » Warmwater Aquaculture Research Unit » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #198430
Title: Effects of Dietary Protein Concentration and Feeding Regimen on Channel Catfish Ictalurus punctatus Production

Author
item LI, M - MAFES
item ROBINSON, E - MAFES
item OBERLE, D - MAFES
item Bosworth, Brian

Submitted to: Journal of the World Aquaculture Society
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/1/2006
Publication Date: 12/1/2006
Citation: Li, M.H., Robinson, E.H., Oberle, D.F., Bosworth, B.G. 2006. Effects of Dietary Protein Concentration and Feeding Regimen on Channel Catfish Ictalurus punctatus Production. Journal of the World Aquaculture Society 37:370-377.

Interpretive Summary: Dietary protien and feeding frequency can affect important production traits of farm-raised catfish. The effects of dietary protein level (24, 28, 32, or 36%) and feeding frequency (every day or every other day) on production and processing traits of channel catfish were determined. Compared with fish fed daily, fish fed every other day had lower feed consumption, weight gain, net production, and percentage of market-size fish, but had high feed efficiency and required fewer hours of aeration. Fish fed every other day also had lower carcass yield, fillet yield, and visceral and fillet fat. Protein level did not affect weight gain of fish fed every day, but growth was slowest for fish fed the lowest dietary protein (24%) every other day. Although feeding every other day improved feed efficiency and may require less aeration and labor, feeding every day increased production and processing yield. The results indicate that feeding frequency, dietary protein, and their interaction affect production and processing traits of channel catfish. The optimal combination of feeding frequency and dietary protein will depend on relative costs of diets, price of fish, and other production related costs.

Technical Abstract: A factorial experiment was conducted to examine effects of dietary protein concentration (24, 28, 32, or 36%) and feeding regimen (feeding once daily or every other d) on channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus production in earthen ponds. Compared with fish fed daily, fish fed every other d had lower feed consumption, weight gain, net production, and percentage of market-size fish, but had high feed efficiency and required fewer hours of aeration. Fish fed every other d also had lower carcass yield, fillet yield, and visceral and fillet fat. There was a significant interaction between dietary protein and feeding regimen for weight gain. No significant differences were observed in weight gain of fish fed daily with diets containing various levels of protein, whereas weight gain of fish fed every other d with a 24%-protein diet was lower than those fed every other d with higher-protein diets. Results suggest that response of channel catfish to dietary protein levels depends on whether the fish were fed daily or every other d. Feeding every other d to satiation improved feed efficiency and required less aeration compared with fish fed daily, but also reduced net production and processing yield; therefore, every-other-day feeding should be examined closely before implementation.