EFFECTS OF A NUTRITION SOURCE OF HYDROLYZED PROTEIN FROM WHITELEG SHRIMP HEAD (Litopenaeus vannamei) IN A PROCESS OF Trichogaster pectoralis’s NURTURING

The study explored the use of small peptides and oligopeptides derived from hydrolyzed whiteleg shrimp head protein (Litopenaeus vannamei) to nurture Trichogaster pectoralis (Pearl Gourami). These peptide fragments were analyzed for amino nitrogen content and molecular weight using the OPA and SDS-PAGE methods. Two types of feed were tested: control feed (CF) and processed feed (PF), both containing fish meal, to evaluate the growth of Pearl Gourami. The results showed that both feeds led to low concentrations of dissolved oxygen (DO) (4.48 to 6.49 mg/L), chemical oxygen demand (COD) (16.09 to 24.98 mg/L), and biological oxygen demand (BOD) (16.62 to 22.61 mg/L), which were within the acceptable limits set by national aquaculture standards. Additionally, the survival rate of the fish remained highly, ranging from 94.8% to 99% after 60 days. In terms of growth performance, fish fed with PF exhibited weight gain (WG) of 7.00±0.76 g/fish, daily weight gain (DWG) of 0.117±0.014 g/fish/day, specific growth rate (SGR) of 0.672±0.065 %/g/fish, feed intake (FI) of 0.467±0.002 g/fish/day, and a feed conversion ratio (FCR) of 4.16±0.314. The digestibility coefficients of dry matter (ADCDM), total protein (ADCpro), and total lipid (ADCLip) for fish fed with PF were 66.2%±1.92, 90.4%±0.468, and 88.3%±0.576, respectively. Furthermore, the average meat weight of Pearl Gourami was 2.08±0.221 grams.