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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Leetown, West Virginia » Cool and Cold Water Aquaculture Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #228467
Title: Improving feed conversion at the National Center for Cool and Cold Water Aquaculture

Author
item Cleveland, Beth

Submitted to: Aquaculture Miscellaneous Publications
Publication Type: Trade Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/1/2008
Publication Date: 6/1/2009
Citation: Cleveland, B.M. 2009. Improving feed conversion at the National Center for Cool and Cold Water Aquaculture. Aquaculture Miscellaneous Publications WVU FishTales.6(2).1-2.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: In an aquaculture production, feed costs can represent at least 60% of operation expenses. As a result, the ability of the fish to efficiently convert feed into body mass (feed conversion) has tremendous impact on the profitability of a farm. At the USDA/ARS National Center for Cool and Cold Water Aquaculture (NCCCWA) in Leetown, WV we aim to improve feed conversion in rainbow trout by selective breeding of animals with a genetic predisposition to high feed efficiency. Rainbow trout demonstrate the highest feed efficiency during early stages of growth and become less efficient during adulthood. Therefore, accurately detecting trends rather than simply measuring lifetime feed conversion can may enhance the effectiveness of the selective breeding process. Differences in rates of protein synthesis or protein degradation, the efficiency of energy production, nutrient utilization and mobility, and energy partitioning are all mechanisms that may be responsible for variations in feed conversion. At the NCCCWA, we have determined that there are differences in the expression of genes involved in pathways of protein degradation between rainbow trout families. This supports the concept that variations in rates of body protein turnover can effect feed conversion. Recent research also focuses on quantifying trout activity levels with the objective of determining if the energy spent for greater levels of activity results in a lower feed conversion. Understanding how these mechanisms contribute to variations in feed conversion both between fish and throughout growth will improve how we select fish for better feed conversion through selective breeding.