Growth, sensory and chemical characterization of Mediterranean yellowtail (Seriola dumerili) fed diets with partial replacement of fish meal by other protein sources

Abstract An 84-day trial was performed to assess the use of alternative protein sources in Seriola dumerili. Three diets were used, FM100 diet, as a control diet without fishmeal substitution, and FM66 and FM33 diets with a fishmeal replacement of 330 g/kg and 660 g/kg, respectively. At the end of experiment, fish fed the FM66 diet showed the no differences in growth, nutritional parameters and fatty acid composition. Heavy metals present some differences but are always lower than risk levels. In sensory analysis, differences between diets appeared in pH and color, and also in some texture parameters between FM33 and the other two diets. No differences appeared between diets related to flavor. In summary, long periods of feeding with high fish meal substitution diets, affects Seriola dumerili growth; despite this the quality of the fillet was not affected even with a 66 % of substitution.