Growth, food efficiency, and biochemical composition of juvenile spotted babylon Babylonia areolata (Link) fed on conventional trash fish and a formulated moist diet

Abstract

A 120-day feeding trial was conducted to determine growth, feeding efficiency, and biochemical composition of juvenile spotted babylon Babylonia areolata (initial mean weight of 1.48 ± 0.06 g) fed on conventional trash fish and a formulated moist diet in a flow-through grow-out system. The snails readily accepted the formulated moist diet and showed good growth and survival during the trial. There were no significant differences in specific growth rate, feeding efficiency, and survival between the snails fed on trash fish or the formulated moist diet. At the end of the experiment, biochemical analysis of the snail flesh showed significant differences in flesh quality, with the snails fed on trash fish having a significantly higher crude protein compared to those fed on the formulated diet, but there was little difference in crude lipid content. Whole body tissue of snails fed on trash fish had significantly higher total amino acid, essential amino acid, and non-essential amino acid levels compared to those fed the formulated diet. This study showed that the formulated moist diet can be readily used for B. areolata growout for maximizing growth, survival, and feeding efficiency; however, further research is needed to improve the flesh quality particularly amino acid and fatty acid levels before its suitability for B. areolata is assured.

Replacement of Fishmeal by Poultry By-Product Meal in Formulated Diets for Growing Hatchery–Reared Juvenile Spotted Babylon (Babylonia areolata)

“…Moreover, the inclusion of up to 75% poultry by-product meal in the diet improved feed efficiency and body composition. The snails fed diets of PBM25, PBM50, and PBM75 had significantly better growth rates than those of PBM0 and PBM100, but they were still lower than those of snails fed the conventional trash fish, formulated feeds [14,15] and supplementation with brewer's yeast [16]. This study showed that snails fed diets of PBM25, PBM50, and PBM75 had better growth rate than snails fed diet of 100% fishmeal inclusion.…”