Feeding Stimulants in Finfish Aquaculture

Aquaculture is a fast-growing industry in the world, and finfish culture has been accounted for the largest share of it. Feed cost in fish farming is very high; hence, the strategy for preventing feed wastage is crucial. Uneaten feed or feed rejection is one of the causes to feed wastage in finfish culture, while this phenomenon can be due to poor feed palatability. Therefore, dietary inclusion of feeding stimulant, the taste substance that can promote ingestion in fish, is necessary to enhance fish intake and minimize uneaten feed. This chapter aimed to provide an overview on the types of taste substances that have been commonly used as feeding stimulants in finfish aquaculture. Generally, amino acids, betaine, organic acids, and nucleotides have been reported as the functional feeding stimulants for fish. However, fish taste preference for these substances is species-specific. Therefore, before the taste substance was used as the feeding stimulant, a preliminary confirmation of the fish preference for it through behavioral assay is strongly recommended.