Abstract:
In the ornamental fish industry, there is a growing concern about the higher freight cost of feed ingredients. The present
study aimed to cluster the locally available ingredients based on their nutrient contents, price, and availability. A total
of 15 ingredients; fish meal (FM), by-catches (BC), soybean seeds (Soy), maize (Ma), duckweed (DW), Azolla pinnata
(Az), rice bran (RB), shrimp shells (SS), palmyrah fruit pulp (PFP), red seaweed (RS), wheat flour (WF), cassava flour
(CF), cornflour (CoF), coconut copra waste (CCC), and groundnut cake (GNC) were selected as locally available
ingredients. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was performed by grouping the ingredients based on their nutrient
contents, price, and availability using Minitab 16. In PCA, the two first components accounted for 57.50% of the total
variance in the initial data. Protein, calcium, phosphorus, and price contribute positively with component 1, whereas
carbohydrate content is related negatively to this component. Calcium and ash content correlated positively with
component 2 and fat, gross energy, and availability were linked negatively to it. The PCA allowed the clustering the
ingredients into four groups. Ingredients in Group 1, including Az, SS, RB, DW, and RS showed a positive correlation
with component 2 and they contain more fiber although, they are not accessible throughout the year. Ingredients of
Group 2, PFP, WF, CoF, and CF are excellent sources of starch but contained less protein content (0.94%, 11.00%, 0.00%,
and 2.80% respectively). CCC, Ma, GNC, and SB pertain to group 3 correlating poorly with component 2. They are an
excellent source of protein with the advantage that they are relatively affordable and easy to available than the other
groups. Ingredients in group 4 incorporated BC and FB. Although they are high in protein, they are expensive and very
poor in carbohydrates. Therefore, it is recommended that the ingredients in group 3 are the best choice for feed
formulation with balanced nutrition at a low cost for fish feed preparation.
