Dietary substitution effect of fish meal with chicken by-product meal on growth, feed utilization, body composition, haematology and non-specific immune responses of olive flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus)

The present study examined the dietary substitution effect of chicken by-product meal (CBM) for fish meal (FM) on growth, feed utilization, body composition, haematology and non-specific immune responses of olive flounder,Paralichthys olivaceus. Six isonitrogenic and isolipidic experimental diets were prepared. The control (Con) diet contained 650 g/kg FM. One hundred, 200, 300, 400 and 500 g/kg FM were replaced with CBM, referred to as the CBM10, CBM20, CBM30, CBM40 and CBM50 diets, respectively. A total of 400 juvenile fish averaging 14.7 g was distributed into 20 tanks (20 fish/tank) and fed triplicate groups of each diet, except for quadruplicate groups for the Con and CBM30 diets twice daily to satiation for 8 weeks. Arginine, phenylalanine and threonine content of the experimental diets increased with dietary increased substitution of FM with CBM. The experimental diets did not affect survival, weight gain, specific growth rate, feed consumption and feed utilization of fish. The chemical composition, whole body amino acid profiles, haematological variables and non-specific immune responses of fish were not changed by the experimental diets. These findings suggest that FM up to 500 g/kg can be substituted with CBM without retardation in growth, feed utilization, haematology and non-specific immune responses of olive flounder.