EFFECT OF DIFFERENT FEEDING LEVELS ON GROWTH AND SURVIVAL RATE OF JUVENILE HYBRID GROUPER (♀ Epinephelus coioides x ♂ E. lanceolatus)

Abstract

The present study aimed to evaluate the effects of feeding level on growth and survival rate of hybrid grouper (♀ Epinephelus coioides x ♂ E. lanceolatus) during the juvenile stage. The initial size of fingerling was 2.30 ± 0.18 cm/individual and 0.31 ± 0.03 g/individual. The experiment was conducted for 60 days using a completely randomized design with five treatments, including feeding levels of 5%, 8%, 11%, 14% of body weight per day and a Control treatment (fed to satiation) and three replications. The container used was a composite tank of 500 L/tank filled with 300 L of seawater with a density of 300 fish/tank. The results showed that the highest growth in both length and weight was obtained at the feeding level of 11% of body weight per day (9.58 cm/individual and 13.05 g/individual). The lowest feed conversion ratio (1.85) occurred at the 5% feeding level, while the highest (3.61) was observed in the Control treatment. The 11% feeding level also resulted in low size variation (CV_L: 11.70% and CV_W: 12.23%) and a high survival rate (63.36%). Thus, the appropriate feeding level for rearing hybrid grouper fingerlings to optimize growth performance and survival is 11% of body weight per day.