ABSTRACT - The objective of this work was to evaluate the effects of the replacement of the protein from soybean meal (SM) by protein from canola meal (CM) in diets for piavuçu fry (Leporinus macrocephalus). Two hundred and eighty-eight fry with initial 0.17±.03 g LW and length of 2.95±.19 cm were allotted to 24 aquarium, (50-L) with 12 fish in each one. A completely randomized design with six treatments (0, 20.0, 40.0, 60.0, 80.0, and 100.0%), which corresponded to 0.0, 8.03, 16.10, 24.10, 32.15, and 43.12% of the CM inclusion in the diets and four replicates, was used. The diets, formulated to be isonitrogenous, isocalcium and isophosphoric were fed during 28 days. The protein efficiency and survival rate were not affect by the replacement levels from SM protein by CM protein. However, linear effects were observed for the percentage of weight gain, percentage of length increase and cost of the diet/kg gain and a quadratic effect of the replacement levels of protein from soybean meal on feed:gain ratio. The replacement of 100.0% of the protein from SM by CM protein or the inclusion of 43.12% of CM in the diet produced a better performance of the piavuçu fry.
fry; canola meal; Leporinus macrocephalus; piavuçu
