摘要：Background and Objective: Alternative feed ingredients is needed to reduce and replace fish meal use in milkfish production. One of the alternative feed ingredients that has potential to be milkfish feed is palm kernel meal (PKM). The ability of milkfish to utilize PKM formulated in feed can be analized through performance of growth rate and gult health (biometric condition and histological structure of gut). This study aimed to evaluate the effect of PKM inclusion as a fish feed ingredient for milkfish ( Chanos chanos ) on growth performance, biometric condition and histological structure of gut. Materials and Methods: A total of 200 fish sample were divided into four treatments followed by five replications. Each of experimental treatment had a different inclusion level of PKM, namely treatment control: 0% PKM (commercial diet), treatment A: 16.36% PKM, treatment B: 45.08% PKM and treatment C: 61.14% PKM. The feeding trial last for 45 days with the feeding frequency of twice a day, according to 5% of body weight. Results: The result show that treatment A did not adversely affect growth performance and gut health of milkfish. Although, there was no significant difference in the relative gut length and the average length of gut villi among treatments, histologically, it was known that the feed with high iclusion level of PKM may caused damage to the milkfish gut tissue Conclusion: The use of PKM in milkfish feed formulations high as 16.36% did not shown adverse effect on growth performance and gut health. Nevertheless, if the inclusion level of PKM was too high, it may damage the gut tissue structure. Consequently, the growth rate and feed efficiency of fish will reduced.
关键词：Feed efficacy; fish meal; growth performance; gut histology; gut villi; milkfish; palm kernel meal
