Determination on the possibility of dietry betaine supplementation to improve feed intake of soyboean meal-based diet in the juvenile grouper (epinephelus fuscoguttatus): A pilot study

The aquaculture industry is relying on the fish meal- based compounded feeds for farming carnivorous fish species. However, the price of fish meal is increasing due to its growing demand (Tacon & Metian, 2008). Therefore, alternative protein sources have being exploited to substitute the fish meal in the compounded feeds. The Epinephelinae groupers are one of the carnivorous fish species that are highly targeted by the aquaculture industry especially in the Southeast Asia regions. Alternative protein sources from terrestrial animals and plants have been exploited to substitute fish meal in the compounded feeds for groupers (Lim et al., 2014). However, high inclusion level of these protein sources usually deteriorates the feeds palatability that causes reduced fish intake and growth (Luo et al., 2004Usman et al., 2007Shapawi et al., 2013). Although the similar problem in other fish species can be solved by supplementing suitable feeding stimulant or attractant into the feed formulation (Dias et al., 1997Papatryphon & Soares, 2000Xue & Cui, 2001), there is still no feeding stimulant found suitable for groupers (Lim et al., 2014)