Replacement of fishmeal by low‐cost animal protein as a quality fish feed ingredient for indian major carp, labeo rohita, fingerlings

Abstract Five formulated diets containing 350 g kg‐1 crude protein were prepared replacing 0, 25, 50, 75 and 100% of the fish meal content which silkworm pupae (Bombyx mori) and clam meat as a dietary protein source, and were fed to Indian major carp (Labeo rohita) fingerlings of 2.0–2.2 g size under laboratory conditions. A growth study over a period of 90 days showed that a diet containing 50% of its protein as fishmeal had significantly higher (P≤0.05) growth with values of 1.64, 1.92, 1.48 for specific growth rate, food conversion ratio and protein efficiency ratio, respectively. Significantly lower growth (P≤0.05) was observed with diets having all or none of its protein as fish meal. This experiment with Labeo rohita fingerlings revealed a significantly better utilisation of the diet when half the protein in a fishmeal diet was replaced by protein in the form of silkworm pupae and clam meat.