Research Article: Comparison of the effect of three distinct diets on the growth, feed efficiency, and body color of whiteleg shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei)

A ۶۰-day feeding trial under composite conditions was conducted to compare the effect of three different treatments of a diet containing ۵۵.۵۰% Fishmeal (FM), a diet with ۴۵.۵۰% FM and ۱۰% Spirulina algae (SP), and a diet with ۳۵.۵۰% FM and ۲۰% Leucaena leucocephala powder (LLP) on the growth, feed efficiency, and flesh color of whiteleg shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei). The analysis results of Duncan’s Multiple Range post-hoc test indicated that survival rate (SR), daily weight gain (DWG), specific growth rate (SGR), feed conversion ratio (FCR), protein efficiency ratio (PER), and protein retention (PR) were significantly improved in the diets containing ۱۰% SP and ۲۰% LLP groups compared to the FM only diet (p<۰.۰۵). Noticeably, although the FCR in the treatment of ۲۰% LLP was significantly lower than the treatment of ۱۰% SP and FM, the parameters of PER and PR showed significantly higher performance in ۲۰% LPP treatment in comparison with ۱۰% SP and FM only. Coloration assessments by a sensory method showed that, in their raw form, shrimp fed ۱۰% SP exhibited a more greenish hue, followed by those fed ۲۰% LLP, and then the FM. However, in cooked shrimps, the ۲۰% LLP group displayed the most desirable coloration. A ۲۱-day trial with smaller whiteleg shrimp (۰.۴۵ g) confirmed that ۲۰% LLP supplementation positively influenced body color compared to ۱۰% SP and FM-only diets. This study shows that partial replacement of FM with plant ingredients improves shrimp color, increases production sustainability, and enhances primary productivity efficiency.

کلیدواژه ها:

Leucaena leucocephala ، Shrimp flesh color ، Shrimp growth ، Arthrospira platensis