Abstract

Juvenile schoolmaster (Lutjanus apodus) were cultured in flow-through tanks and fed three formulated (pelleted) diets and a non-formulated diet for ten weeks. Formulated diets included a 43% protein, 21% moisture (semi-moist), salmonid diet; a 44% protein, 10% moisture (dry), salmonid diet; and a 56% protein, 7% moisture, marine finfish diet. The non-formulated diet (72%protein, 78% moisture) was a mixture of fish, shrimp and squid. Feed was administered once per day at a rate of 3-4% of biomass, on a dry weight basis. ; Fish fed the non-formulated diet had the highest mean absolute and specific growth rates (0.58 g/d, 0.81 %/d) and the lowest mean feed conversion ratio (3.5), based on dry weight of feed, followed by fish fed the marine finfish diet (0.48 g/d, 0.70 %/d, 5.1), the semi-moist salmonid diet (0.30 g/d, 0.48 %/d, 7.4) and the dry salmonid diet (0.28 g/d, 0.45 %/d, 7.9). Pairwise comparisons of absolute growth rates, specific growth rates and feed conversion values indicated significant (P

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