Effect of Raw Fish-Based Moist Pellet (MP) and Commercial Red Sea Bream Feed (CF) on Growth and Body Composition of Sunshine Bass (M. saxatilis male X M. chrysops female) Reared at Various Salinity During the Winter Season

Possibility of raising sunshine bass during the winter season in Korea was investigated. Also, the effect of feed on growth and body composition of sunshine bass was compared at the various salinity. Twenty sunshine bass $(Mean\;weight\;\pm S.D.\: :\;53.9 \pm 0.24 g)$ were stocked into the eighteen circular flow-through tanks. A 2 (feed) $\times$ 3 (salinity) factorial design with triplicate was used for this study. Feed was prepared into the 2 groups: the raw fish-based me>ist pellet (MP) containing $59.5\%$ crude protein and $9.4\%$ crude lipid, and commercial sinking red sea bream feed (CF) containing $49.9\%$ crude protein and $9.4\%$ crude lipid, respectively. And salinity was prepared into the 3 groups: freshwater $(0\%)$, brackishwater $(15\%)$, and seawater $(32\%)$. Fish were fed to satiation twice daily for 6 days a week. Fish were all survived at the end of the 8-week feeding trial. Weight gain (WG) and specific growth rate (SGR) of sunshine bass were significantly (P<0.05) affected by both feed and salinity. WG and SGR of sunshine bass fed the MP were significantly (P<0.05) higher than those of fish fed the CF in the same salinity. Amount of dry feed fed was significantly (P<0.05) affected by both feed and salinity. Feed consumption by sunshine bass fed on the MP was significantly (P<0,05) higher than by fish fed on the CF in the same salinity. Feed efficiency ratio (FER) was significantly (P<0,05) affected by salinity, but not by feed. Protein efficiency ratio (PER) was significantly (P<0.05) affected by both feed and salinity. Moisture and protein content of the whole-body of fish was not significantly (P>0.05) affected by either feed or salinity. However, lipid and ash content of the whole-body of fish was significantly (P<0.05) affected by salinity, but not by feed. In conclusion, the MP was superior to CF for growth of sunshine bass during the winter season in Korea and no mortality occurred. And sunshine bass seemed to grow better in freshwater $(0\%)$ and brac-kishwater $(15\%)$ than seawater $(32\%)$ under these experimental conditions, in terms of improvement in FER and PER in freshwater or brackishwater.