EVALUATION OF PTEROCLA DIA (RHODOPHYTA) AND ULVA (CHLOROPHYTA) MEALS AS ADDITIVES TO GILTHEAD SEABREAM SPARUS AURATA DIETS

EVALUATION OF PTEROCLA DIA (RHODOPHYTA) AND ULVA
(CHLOROPHYTA) MEALS AS ADDITIVES TO GILTHEAD
SEABREAM SPARUS AURATA DIETS
ELHAM AMALY WASSEF
*
, ABDEL FATTAH MOHAMED EL-SAYED
**
KAMAL MOHAMED KANDEEL**AND EMAN MAHMOUD SAKR
*
National Institute of Oceanography & Fisheries (NIOF), Kayed-Bey, Alexandria, Egypt.
Faculty of Sciences, Alexandria University.
Key words: Fish feeding, nutrition, macroalgae, Pterocladia, Ulva, Sparus aurata.
ABSTRACT
A feeding trial was carried out to evaluate the macroalgae Pterocladia capillacea
(Rhodophyta) and Ulva lactuca (Chlorophyta) as feed additives in gilthead bream Sparus
aurata L. feed. Four test diets containing 0, 5, 10 & 15 % Pterocladia (PM) or Ulva meal
(UM) were fed to triplicate group S. aurata fry (0.1+0.05 g) for eight weeks. The fish were
stocked in glass aquaria (110 L each) filled with sea water, at 100 fry/aquarium. The diets
were fed to the fish 3 times per day to apparent satiation at a mean ambient temperature 21
oC. Results indicated that feeding S. aurata 10% PM or 5% UM produced the best growth
performance, feed utilization, nutrient retention and survival. Feeding S. aurata fry 10%
PM had also greatly improved fish stress response after a 5-minutes air exposure test at the
end of feeding trial. These findings suggested the inclusion of dietary Pterocladia or Ulva
meals at 10% or 5%, respectively in S. aurata fry diets.