Effects of substitution of fishmeal with sesame meal in feeds for Labeo rohita fingerling

Abstract

An eight-week feeding trial was conducted to assess the effects of fishmeal replacement with sesame meal in the diets of Labeo rohita fingerling (2.34 ± 0.02g; 6.4 ± 0.33cm) on growth and carcass composition. Experimental diets containing 350 g kg⁻¹ crude protein and 18 kJ g⁻¹ gross energy were formulated by replacing fishmeal (FM) with sesame meal (SM) on a protein-to-protein basis at levels of 0%, 20%, 40%, 60%, 80%, and 100%. Fish were fed to near satiation. Substitution of FM with SM up to 40% did not cause any significant differences in live weight gain, specific growth rate, feed utilisation efficiency, protein efficiency ratio, protein retention efficiency and whole-body proximate composition, but these parameters declined significantly at 60%, 80% and 100% replacement levels. The findings suggest that FM can be substituted by SM up to 40% in formulating nutritionally balanced, cost-effective, sustainable, commercial feeds for Labeo rohita fingerling without hampering growth performance and carcass quality.