Partial or total replacement of fish meal by corn gluten meal in diet for turbot (Psetta maxima)

The effect of corn gluten meal (CGM) as a partial or total replacement of f ish meal was studied in turbot (Psetta maxima). Five experimental diets con taining a gradient of CGM were fed to triplicate groups of turbot (initial body weight of 65 g) over 9 weeks at 17 degrees C. Turbot fed a diet contai ning 20% of CGM had comparable growth performances as these fed a fishmeal based diet. Total replacement of fish meal adversely affected growth. Diges tibility of nutrients and energy of the diets decreased with the increase i n levels of dietary corn gluten meal. Supplementation of arginine and lysin e in diets containing CGM induced an improvement of the availability of the se two amino acids. The incorporation of CGM in diets significantly affecte d plasma cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations while no effect was ob served on plasma levels of thyroid hormones. These results suggest that pro tein from CGM can replace one third of fish meal protein in the diets for t urbot. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.