Effect of partial and total replacement of fish, shrimp head, and soybean meals with red crab meal Pleuroncodes planipes (Stimpson) on growth of white shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei (Boone)

Red crab meal (RCM), as a potential protein source in diets for juvenile shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei, was evaluated over a 45‐day growth trial under laboratory conditions. Eight experimental diets were tested. The basal diet contained fish (tuna by‐product), shrimp head and soybean (solvent extracted) meals as primary protein sources. Fish or soybean meals were substituted, on an equal‐protein basis, at 33%, 66% and 100% by RCM, whereas shrimp head meal (SHM) was substituted at 100%. A commercial diet was included as a reference. Final weight ranged between 2.23 and 3.36 g and growth rates (GRs) between 0.048 and 0.073 g day−1. Where 66% or 100% of the protein from fish or soybean meals was substituted by RCM, the diets produced significantly higher final weights and GRs than other diets. Regression analysis showed that final weight of shrimp depended significantly on the percentage of substitution, and that the maximum weight gain would be obtained when substituting RCM for 80.2% of fish meal and 81.2% of soybean meal. Feed conversion ratio was below 1.8 for all treatments and there was no apparent relationship with other aspects of the diet. Red crab meal served as a suitable protein source for partial or total replacement of tuna by‐product, soybean and SHMs for cultivated juvenile shrimp L. vannamei.