Nutritive value of four by-product meals as potential protein sources in diets for Octopus maya

The nutritional value of four meals made from animal by-products of squid (SBM), tuna (TBM), poultry (PBM) and pork (POBM), and their potential use in diets for Octopus maya were evaluated. Lyophilized crab-meat meal (CRM) (Callinectes sapidus) was used as a reference for the nutritional requirements of the octopus. CRM had the highest crude protein (CP) content (847.2 g kg?1) and the lowest lipid content (27.5 g kg?1). SBM and PBM had more than 700 g kg?1 CP content, while TBM and POBM had less than 600 g kg?1. Lipid content varied between 75.3 (SBM) and 127.2 (PBM) g kg?1. Energy content of CRM was 17.5 MJ kg?1, and the maximum difference with respect to the by-product meals did not exceed 3 MJ kg?1. Amino acid analysis showed that SBM and PBM had high content of Thr, Ser and Ala, which are the most important amino acids for the metabolism of O. maya. Fatty acid analysis showed that they also had a high content of PUFA. PBM showed deficiencies in EPA and DHA content, but had a high content of linoleic acid, which can be a precursor of C:20 and C:22. Based on this, SBM and PBM have nutritional qualities which could be adequate for use as primary protein sources in artificial diets for O. maya

Effect of dietary protein:lipid ratio on growth and body composition in bullfrog (Lithobates catesbeianus)

A feeding trial was performed to assess dietary protein:lipid ratios for the grow-out phase of the bullfrog (Lithobates catesbeianus). Nine balanced isoenergetic diets were formulated, combining three different protein levels (300, 400, and 500 g kg−1) with three different lipid levels (50, 100, and 200 g kg−1), designated as P300/50L, P300/100L, P300/200L, P400/50L, P400/100L, P400/200L, P500/50L, P500/100L, and P500/200L. Additionally, a commercial fish feed, commonly used in Mexico to feed bullfrogs, was also tested during the experiment. Growth performance, animal performance parameters, carcass composition, and fatty acid profiles in muscle and liver were evaluated. The feeding trial results showed that all the experimental diets enhanced growth, feed conversion ratio, and frog-leg weight compared with the commercial diet. Bullfrogs had higher growth with 400 and 500 g kg−1 of dietary protein regardless of dietary lipid content. It was also notable that with the P500/200L diet, frogs doubled the weight of those fed the commercial diet. DHA, EPA, and total omega-3 fatty acids were double in muscle and two to eight times higher in the liver compared with the commercial diet. In all cases, the final proximal composition of carcass reflected the diet composition. It is suggested that a diet containing 400 g kg−1 of protein and 50 g kg−1 lipids (protein/lipid ratio: 7.4; gross energy: 18.2 MJ kg−1) is adequate for bullfrog performance during the grow-out phase to achieve market size in a shorter period, thus, reducing farming risks and production cost