AVAILABILITY OF AMINO-ACIDS FROM VARIOUS FISH MEALS FED TO ATLANTIC SALMON (SALMO-SALAR)

Amino acid availability values for Atlantic salmon were evaluated for two steam- and one flame-dried herring meal, menhaden meal, anchovy me al, and a Norwegian capelin meal (Norse-LT94(R)). Apparent amino acid availabilities were calculated based on feces collected either by manu al stripping or sedimentation (Guelph CYAQ-2 digestibility system). Ap parent crude protein availability values obtained from manually stripp ed feces showed that Norse-LT948(R) (87.0%) was not significantly diff erent from any of the herring meals (82.6 and 85.1%) tested but was hi gher (P <0.05) than from both the anchovy (76.7%) and menhaden meals ( 78.2%). Availabilities calculated with values from feces collected by sedimentation were approximately 9% higher than those from manually st ripped feces due to leaching of faecal constituents. The amino acid av ailability values of common feedstuffs should be used for feed formula tion as their availability within a feed ingredient is quite variable.