Journal of Environmental Biology

Growth performance and feed utilization of grey mullet fingerlings fed with varying levels of protein during nursery rearing phase

P.A. Patil¹*, T. Hussain³, K. Ambasankar², M. Kailasam² and P. Mahalakshmi²     

¹Department of Nutrition Genetics and Biotechnology, Research Centre of ICAR-Central Institute of Brackishwater Aquaculture, Navsari-396 450, India

²Department of Aquaculture, ICAR-Central Institute of Brackishwater Aquaculture, Chennai-600 028, India

³Department of Social Science, Karwar Regional Centre of ICAR-Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute, Karwar- 581 301, India

Received: 17 May 2024                   Revised: 18 November 2024                   Accepted: 28 May 2025

*Corresponding Author Email : pankaj.patil@icar.gov.in                  *ORCiD: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2514-6957

Abstract

Aim: This study evaluates the growth performance and feed utilization of wild grey mullet fingerlings fed with varying levels of crude protein during the nursery rearing phase.

Methodology: Grey mullet (Mugil cephalus) fingerlings were collected from the wild and were acclimatized under laboratory conditions before the start of the experiment. The fingerlings (initial average body weight of 2.82 ± 0.1 g) were stocked at 200 individuals per hapa (dimension: 2 × 2 × 1 m) in a brackishwater pond (2500 m^³) and the experiment was conducted for 90 days in a completely randomized design with three replicates per treatment. Four experimental diets with graded crude protein (CP) levels of 30% (CP30), 35% (CP35), 40% (CP40), and 45% (CP45) on a dry matter basis were formulated using locally available feed ingredients and the effect of different levels of protein on growth performance was assessed.

Results: At the end of 90 days of feeding experiment, the fish group fed with CP35 diet showed the best FCR (p < 0.05) and recorded the highest growth performance among different treatment groups. Increasing the protein content beyond 35% in the diet revealed no beneficial effect on various growth performance parameters.

Interpretation: This study recommends the formulated diet with 35% crude protein for improved growth and survival of grey mullet fingerlings for farming in the pond based hapa system.

Key words: Fingerlings, Grey mullet, Growth, Hapa, Protein

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