New discovery could save millions in feed cost
ABC News reported that Tasmanian scientists have recently found that barramundi grow more quickly when fed lupins rather than smaller fish like anchovies. The University of Tasmania's School of Aquaculture told the Fish Farmer that this discovery could save the aquaculture industry millions of dollars in fish food costs.
Earlier studies have been done where fishmeal protein has been replaced with soybean meal and with protein concentrates made from narrow-leafed lupin or field peas in extruded feed for Atlantic salmon parr. Feed containing up to 27 per cent pea protein concentrate (49% crude protein) or 22 per cent lupin protein concentrate (46% crude protein) had no significant effect on the growth of Atlantic salmon parr compared to fishmeal and solvent-extracted soybean meal.
The Australian scientists are also using the tropical fish (barramundi) to help prepare local fish farmers for global warming by investigating how barramundi have adopted to higher temperatures and how they use food and temperature to grow.
