The Growth Performance and Nutrient Quality of Asian Swamp Eel <i>Monopterus albus</i> in Central Java Indonesia in a Freshwater Aquaculture System with Different Feeds

Abstract

The Asian swamp eel (Monopterus albus) is a high protein content fish with delicious taste that can survive for 6–8 months. The growth performance and nutrient quality of Asian swamp eels in a freshwater aquaculture system in Central Java, Indonesia was studied using a completely randomized design. Golden snails, snails, silkworms, and earthworms were the feeding treatments at 5% of total body weight. The test animals weighed 5.68 ± 0.35 g after a 60-day culture, and the density was 36 eels/m2. Providing different types of feed had significant effects (P < 0.05) on relative growth rate (RGR), feed intake, and survival rate (SR) but did not significantly affect the protein efficiency ratio (P > 0.05). The best final weight, RGR, and SR results were 11.80 g, 2.64%, and 80.95% during a 60-day culture with silkworms used as feed. The nutrient quality in a similar treatment found with the best proximate composition was 76.90% protein, 3.24% fat, 25.19% palmitic acid, 15.41% oleic acid, 15.9% glutamic acid, 8.2% isoleucine, and 8.9% lysine.