Juvenile turbot (Scophthalmus maximus L., 1758) farmed in a modern low-water exchange RAS device: Growth performance using different diets and its commercial implications

ABSTRACTOne step to improve the economics of Recirculated Aquaculture Systems (RAS) is the use of the right feed. A 12-week lasting growth trial with juvenile turbot (Scophthalmus maximus) with an average initial weight of 54.4 ± 19.3 g evaluated the economic impact of choosing the best feed. Therefore, commercially available feeds recommended for turbot culture, two floating (feed 1 and feed 3) and one sinking (feed 2), were tested in a low-water exchange RAS device. Compositions of the macronutrients for the floating diets were 56.0% (protein), 12.0% (fat), 1.1% (fiber), and 10.0% (ash) for feed 1, which will be referred to as Floating 1, and 55.0% (protein), 16.0% (fat), 0.7% (fiber), and 11.0% (ash) for feed 3, which will be referred as Floating 2. The macronutrient composition of feed 2, which will be referred to as Sinking, was 50.0% (protein), 15.0% (fat), 1.4% (fiber), and 9.9% (ash). Growth performance differed significantly between feeds; the specific growth rates (SGR) ranged between 0.92% d−1 ...