Biological performance and feed use of juvenile mullet (Mugil cephalus) fed with effluents from white shrimp (L. vannamei) culture

The use of effluents (detritus) from a shrimp culture as a feed source in juvenile mullet (Mugil cephalus) was evaluated on the biological performance and feed utilization. The design consisted of 4 treatments using two feeds (i.e., shrimp effluent and commercial feed) in different proportions. 0, 33, 67, 100% shrimp effluent was offered as feed to the juveniles. EC0, EC33, EC67 and EC100 treatments respectively. As expected, the juveniles fed with the EC0 treatment obtained higher values of biological performance and feed utilization. However, the juveniles of the EC100 treatment showed an increase of 0.2 g at the end of the feeding trial. The results suggest that mullet is a species capable of taking advantage of residual nutrients and increasing its biomass. These results could be used as a feeding strategy for mullet crops and reduce cultivation costs.