An evaluation of the suitability of croaker fish (Otolithes sp.) waste products silages in feed Macrobrachium rosenbergii (de Man)

A. U. Pagarkar¹*, A. Mitra¹ and S. Basu²

¹Agricultural and Food Engineering Department, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, (India) ²Central Institute of Fisheries Education, Versova, Mumbai - 61 (India)

ABSTRACT: Waste product from croaker fish (Otolithes sp.), was eco-friendly utilized by ensiling with lactic acid bacteria (Lactobacilli plantarum), 4% (w/w) sulphuric acid and 4% (w/w) mixture of organic acids (formic acid and propionic acid in 1:1 ratio). These prepared silages were incorporated in juvenile of freshwater prawn Macrobrachium rosenbergii and feeding trials were conducted for a period of 60 days. Three different isonitrogenous diets were prepared with either bio-fermented fish waste silage, and sulphuric acid and mixture of organic acids (formic acid and propionic acid in 1:1 ratio) maintaining crude protein level of diets at 35 %. Biochemical composition, its nutritive evaluation and advantages of bio-fermented fish waste silage comparison with sulphuric acid and mixture of organic acids are discussed in this paper. The juveniles fed diets containing bio-fermented fish waste silage showed not statistically different (P> 0.05), but better weight gains(%), FCR, protein efficiency ratio (PER), feed efficiency ratio FER and net protein utilization than sulphuric acid and mixture of organic acids (formic acid and propionic acid in 1:1 ratio).

KEYWORDS: Waste utilization; Macrobrachium rosenbergii; Lactic acid bacteria; bio-fermented silage

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