The effect of Yucca schidigera extract dietary supplementation on growth performance, feed and protein utilization of European seabass, Dicentrarchus labrax, fingerlings

Document Type : Research article

Authors

1 Department of Fish and Animal Production, Faculty of Agriculture (Saba Basha), Alexandria University, Egypt.

2 Department of Fish and Animal Production, Faculty of Agriculture, Alexandria University, Egypt.

Abstract

A total of 180 apparent healthy European seabass, Dicentrarchus labrax, fingerlings (5.0±0.5 g fish-1) were used to investigate the effect of different levels of Yucca, Yucca schidigera, extract (YE) on growth performance, feed utilization and survival rate. Yucca extractwere used at level of 0, 0.25, 0.50 and 1 g YE kg-1 diet for 45 days. The fish were reared in twelve glass aquaria (three replicates per treatment), measuring (70x40x30 cm; approximately 70 liters each) at an initial stocking density of 15 fish aquarium-1. The aquaria were supported with artificial aeration and the water exchange rate was 15% with saline ground water (32‰). The results indicated that YE dietary supplementation significantly improved final weight, weight gain and specific growth rate in groups fed on 0.50 and 1 g YE kg-1 diet compared to the control. Feed intake tended to increase with all groups fed on YE supplemented diet. The feed conversion ratio and protein efficiency ratio improved significantly with the highest two level of YE compared to the control. From the above mentioned, it can be concluded that YE can be used at level of 1 g YE kg-1 diet as feed additive in sea bass fingerlings diet for improving growth performance and FCR and protein metabolism and maintaining survival rate.

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Egyptian Journal for Aquaculture
Volume 9, Issue 3
September 2019
Pages 15-31

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