Effects of nano‐Selenium supplementation in plant protein‐rich diet on reproductive performance and egg and larval quality of female Arabian yellowfin sea bream ( <i>Acanthopagrus arabicus</i> )

Abstract

This study was conducted to examine effects of supplementing nano-selenium in a plant protein-based diet on reproductive performance of female Acanthopagrus arabicus. Two basal diets were formulated including a fishmeal (FM)-based diet and a plant protein (PP)-rich diet. FM-based diet served as a positive control (control) and the PP-rich diet was used as the basal diet for supplementing with 0, 0.5, 1, 2 and 4 mg N-Se Kg−1. Six groups of fish were fed one of the test diets over three months to spawning. Relative fecundity was higher in females fed 4 mg Kg−1 N-Se diet (p < .05). The greatest fertilization rate (FR) was found in broodfish fed 4 mg N-Se Kg−1 diet, but it was not significantly different from the FR in groups fed the control and 2 mg N-Se Kg−1 diets. Eggs from the females fed the control or 2 mg N-Se Kg−1 diets displayed higher hatchability (p < .05). The highest length and survival rate at 3-days post-hatch were observed in larvae of females fed 2 mg N-Se Kg−1 diet (p < .05). The results indicated that administration of 2–4 mg N-Se Kg−1 in PP-rich diets has beneficial effects on reproduction of female A. arabicus.