| Abstract: | Fishmeal made from lantern fish (family: Myctophidae; genus: Benthosema pterotum) had proximate, mineral, amino acid and fatty acid composition within the range reported for fishmeal made from conventional fish. Similarly, the pressed-out oil had a fatty acid composition and content of unsaponifiables as reported for conventional fish oil. The content of unsaponifiables in the body fat of the fish indicated that wax esters contributed a minor part of the lipids of this species of lantern fish. Determined in chicks, the true digestibility of the amino acids varied from 92% (arginine) to 73% (hydroxyproline) which for most of the amino acids was 1-3% units lower than that found for a high-quality capelin fishmeal. No differences in rate of mortality, growth rate and feed consumption and utilisation were found between lantern and capelin fishmeal when they replaced increasing amounts (0 to 100%) of soya bean meal as protein supplements (72% of total protein) to cereal diets, both fishmeals reducing feed consumption and causing a significant improvement in feed utilisation compared with soya bean meal. The data indicate that lantern fish may be used for the production of fishmeal. |
