February 2025
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International Journal of Biosciences (IJB)
The study evaluated decapsulated Artemia cysts meal (DACM) as a source of protein and carotenoid in diets for rosy barb, Puntius conchonius. A six-month feeding experiment was conducted in 15 glass aquaria of five feed treatment to evaluate the effects of dietary replacement of fishmeal (FM) protein with DACM on growth performance, food utilization, survival, total carotenoid content in skin and muscle tissue of rosy barb (initial weight of 0.21 to 0.24 gm). Five iso-proteic (30% crude protein) test diets were formulated with DACM to replace FM protein at 0% (D0), 25% (D25), 50% (50), 75% (D75) and 100% (D100) with the inclusion of DACM at the amount of 0%, 10.59%, 21.18%, 31.77% and 42.35% of diet respectively. Rosy barbs fed the D50 diet exhibited significantly highest (P<0.05; DMRT) weight gain and specific growth rate (SGR), followed by D75, D25 set and lower in D100 set. Maximum food utilization with the best value of food conversion ratio (FCR) was noted in D50 set. The higher survival of rosy barbs was found in D25, D50 and D75 sets where values did vary significantly (DMRT) and the lower values were obtained from D0 and D100 sets. No significant effect of dietary treatments was found in whole-body composition of experimental fishes. Total carotenoid content in fish skin and muscle tissue was significantly higher in D50 set, followed by D75, D25 set. Thus, the FM protein substituted at 50% with DACM with an inclusion level of 21.18% of diet will be suitable for the rosy barbs, P. conchonius.