2016/06/03 by Pallab K. Sarker, Anne R. Kapuscinski, Alison J. Lanois +3 · 1 citation
Agricultural and Biological Sciences · Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · Immunology and Microbiology · #Aquaculture Nutrition and Growth #Reproductive biology and impacts on aquatic species #Aquaculture disease management and microbiota #Nile tilapia #Tilapia #Biology #Oreochromis #Food science #Feed conversion ratio #Fish oil #Fishery #Commercial fish feed #Aquaculture #Docosahexaenoic acid #Polyunsaturated fatty acid #Protein efficiency ratio #Fatty acid #Biochemistry #Fish <Actinopterygii> #Body weight
paper · pdf · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0156684
openalex publication_date 2016/06/03 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/22
We conducted a 84-day nutritional feeding experiment with dried whole cells of DHA-rich marine microalga Schizochytrium sp. (Sc) to determine the optimum level of fish-oil substitution (partial or complete) for maximum growth of Nile tilapia. When we fully replaced fish oil with Schizochytrium (Sc100 diet), we found significantly higher weight gain and protein efficiency ratio (PER), and lower (improved) feed conversion ratio (FCR) and feed intake compared to a control diet containing fish oil (Sc0); and no significant change in SGR and survival rate among all diets. The Sc100 diet had the highest contents of 22:6n3 DHA, led to the highest DHA content in fillets, and consequently led to the highest DHA:EPA ratios in tilapia fillets. Schizochytrium sp. is a high quality candidate for complete substitution of fish oil in juvenile Nile tilapia feeds, providing an innovative means to formulate and optimize the composition of tilapia juvenile feed while simultaneously raising feed efficiency of tilapia aquaculture and to further develop environmentally and socially sustainable aquafeeds. Results show that replacing fish oil with DHA-rich marine Sc improves the deposition of n3 LC PUFA levels in tilapia fillet. These results support further studies to lower Schizochytrium production costs and to combine different marine microalgae to replace fish oil and fishmeal into aquafeeds.