Dietary additive for pacu (Piaractus mesopotamicus Holmberg, 1887): microalgae flour

• Grant number: 15/21883-3
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: February 01, 2016
• End date: January 31, 2017
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Animal Husbandry - Animal Nutrition and Feeding
• Principal Investigator: José Eurico Possebon Cyrino
• Grantee: Matheus Henrique Rodrigues Silveira
• Host Institution: Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz (ESALQ). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Piracicaba , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Brazil has good potential of fish farming and production, with several promising native species, pacu, a neotropical Charcin already being farmed because of its rapid growth, resilience and market acceptance. The microalgae meal is a highly nutritious product that can be used in aquafeeds both as dietary supplement or ingredient, partially or totally replacing fish meal, the main protein source for fish feeds. Microalgae have already yielded good results not only in fish, but also in poultry, pork and beef industries, with good performance results and nutritional quality of its derivatives. This project aims as studying effects of microalgae meal as dietary supplement for pacu, as follows: (I) assessing the ingredient digestibility for pacu; (II) evaluation of the production performance of pacu fed diets containing graded levels microalgae meal in its composition and (III) determining the optimal level of inclusion of the product as additives in feed. (AU)