World Aquaculture Singapore 2022

November 29 - December 2, 2022

Singapore

CULTURE OF ASIAN SEABASS Lates calcarifer IN THE RED SEA

Edoardo Pantanella*, JLQ Laranja, A. Mohamed, P. H. de Mello, S. Zehra, R. Saleh, A. Abulkasim, A. Al Shaikhi, A.M. Al-Suwailem

 

King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Beacon Development, 23955-6900 Thuwal, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

*edoardo.pantanella@kaust.edu.sa

 



Asian seabass or barramundi Lates calcarifer is considered a warm water species because the fish can grow better at higher temperatures (30-33°C) (Katersky & Carter, 2005). This fish has been cultured in the Red Sea, Saudi Arabia, where the country has a recent aquaculture production of around 18303 tons in live-weight (FAO, 2022). In this research, we conducted several experiments to determine the growth and production potential of barramundi under the Red Sea conditions (i.e., salinity=42 ppt.) In the baseline growth experiments, our results showed that from 60 g ABW, the fish attained 183-211 g after 78 days with weight gain of around 45-57 g month-1 and feed conversion ratio (FCR) values of around 1.14-1.42. In another trial using bigger size fish (initial: 454 g ABW), the fish attained 903-972 g after 77 days and gained 177-200 g month-1 with FCR values of around 1.41-1.55. Furthermore, a digestibility trial for the different protein and lipid source ingredients was also conducted to formulate practical diets for the barramundi. Our digestibility trial showed that barramundi has a higher protein digestibility coefficient in wheat gluten meal (0.95), soybean meal (0.94), fishmeal (0.92), and corn gluten meal (0.87). For lipid source ingredients, a higher digestibility coefficient value was observed in poultry oil (0.99), sardine oil (0.95), and rapeseed oil (0.77). From these ingredients, practical diets were then formulated as follows: Diet 1: contains 44% crude protein and 20% lipid; P/E ratio: 20 (Diet 2): contains 40% crude protein, and 24% lipid; P/E ratio 18. These diets were then tested in separate tank trials using smaller and bigger size barramundi. In the first trial using smaller fish, the fish were fed with the practical diet 1 as compared to a commercial diet for 80 days. The results showed that diet 1 attained a significantly higher final ABW (382 g), growth gain (77 g month-1), and protein efficiency ratio (PER) (2.12), and a significantly lower FCR value (1.16) as compared to the commercial feed (ABWfinal=343 g; growth gain= 63 g month-1; PER=1.26; FCR=1.71), suggesting that the practical diet 1 showed better performance than the reference diet. In the bigger fish (initial: 652 g ABW), no significant differences in final ABW (1021-1.032 g ABW) and weight gain (137-143 g month-1) were observed between the different diets tested, however, the FCR value was significantly lower in diet 1 (1.56) as compared to diet 2 (1.89) and the commercial diet (1.78), while PER was significantly higher in diet 1 (1.58) and diet 2 (1.45) as compared to the commercial diet (1.21). Finally, a cage trial in the Red Sea was also conducted to determine the growth and production performance of barramundi fed the practical diet. The results of the cage trial in the Red Sea will be presented at the conference. In conclusion, barramundi can grow well in the Red Sea conditions with FCR values showing commercially viable results.