Fish Nutrition & Feed Technology

Unit 12 - Feed additives

12.5.Growth promoters

17 beta methyl testosterone incorporated in the diets has shown better growth in Indian major carps and also in common carp. While a combination of 17 alpha methyl testosterone and diethylstilbestrol has resulted in faster growth in silver carp and Tor Khudree. But these anabolic steroids were in use earlier as feed additives but the growing concern about hormone residues in products destined for the market has led to the ban in most countries. However, steroids are currently used in the culture of certain species, not with a view to enhancing growth but with a view to obtaining populations of a single sex population by sex reversal. This is achieved by giving anabolic steroids in the diets during the fry stages.

Nonsteroid hormones that have growth promoting effect in fish are thyroxine, triiodothyronine, inulin etc. However their usage is uncommon.