Determination of biological parameters of 4 marine fish species (sea bass, cobia, orange-spotted grouper, and short yellowfin pompano) for assessment of the holding capacity of a location

A biochemical experiment on four marine fish species commonly farmed in Vietnam, sea bass Lates calcarifer(Bloch, 1790), cobia Rachycentron canadum (Linnaeus, 1766), orange-spotted grouper Epinephelus coioides(Hamilton, 1822), and short yellowfin pompano Trachinotus ovatus (Linnaeus, 1758), was carried out at Cat Ba island, Hai Phong province. The mean weight of fish used in the experiment were 2, 5, 2, and 0.6 kg.ind-1, respectively. The experiment aimed to determine the biological parameters of the farmed fish (Ap, Af, Ac) and related nutritional parameters (Pp, Pf, Fp, Ff, Fc), for assessment of the holding capacity of a location. The results showed that the apparent digestibility coefficient of protein and fat in trash fish for sea bass were 92.90%, 93.84%, respectively; cobia 91.17%, 95.53%; orange-spotted grouper 95.20%, 96.40%. The apparent digestibility coefficient of protein, fat and carbohydrate in pellet feed for short yellowfin pompano were 85.83, 76.47, and 13.68%, respectively. The protein content and fat content in the muscle of sea bass were 19.28%, 6.27%; cobia 19.13%, 13.85%; orange-spotted grouper 17.37%, 7.32%; and short yellowfin pompano 18.31%, 15.08%, respectively. The protein content and fat content of trash fish were 16.99%, 7.19%, respectively. The proportion of protein, fat and carbohydrate of pellet feed were 42.01, 9.93, and 27.82%, respectively. There are no carbohydrates in the muscle of farmed fish as well as trash fish.