Growth of Caged Channel Catish Fingerlings Reared on Diets Containing Various Lipids

Abstract

Fingerling channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) were reared in floating cages on practical diets supplemented with fish oil (diet FO), soybean oil (diet SO), or beef tallow (diets BT and C). Each diet contained 5% lipid, with the exception of diet C, which contained 2.5% beef tallow. Fingerlings reared on the FO diet apparently had the lowest food conversion ratios and largest weight gains, but these factors were not significantly different (P ≤ 0.05). The C diet was not used as efficiently by the fish as those containing the higher level of lipid.