Nutritional Requirements and Alternative Ingredients in Feed for Marine Finfish

The increasing demand for fish around the world in recent years has led to a significant expansion of the aquaculture industry. The need for improvement in fish nutrition to enable efficient and sustainable production is highlighted by this growth. Marine finfish, with their unique biological and physiological needs, require a balanced feed in order to maintain good health and growth. Proteins and amino acids, lipids and fatty acids, carbohydrates and vitamins and minerals are important nutritional elements for marine finfish. Proteins and essential amino acids are necessary for tissue repair and growth, while lipids supply energy and are needed for cell membrane function. Although carbohydrates are used less, they help to spare proteins for growth. Sufficient amounts of vitamins and minerals are required to promote bone formation, metabolic activities and general health. Traditional feed ingredients such as fish meal and fish oil have been used widely to produce commercial artificial feed due to their high nutritional value, yet their use raises issues with sustainability and economics. The chapter reviews several alternative feed ingredients that encourage solving the issues. By understanding and addressing the specific dietary requirements of marine finfish and incorporating alternative feed ingredients, the aquaculture industry can be expanded while reducing the environmental impact and cost of production.