
118
Productive performance of the “green terror / Mazón, E. y col.
INTRODUCTION
Currently in Ecuador, there is no constant and adequate supply 
of plant resources for high protein certied organic preparation of 
diets for sh farming, highlighting the need to explore alternative 
plant resources (PR) to replace conventional protein sources, 
such as passion fruit cake (PFC) [18, 22, 31]. 
Organic  aquaculture  diers  from  conventional  aquaculture  in 
that it is focused on production in harmony with the environment, 
employing practices that seek to duplicate the natural conditions 
of organisms [8], striving always be committed to social, economic 
and sustainability factors, including the rational use of resources 
for feed [31].
  
The high cost of traditional energy products used in animal feed 
has sparked the search for new products and an evaluation of 
their nutritional potential. One of these crops is PFC, which is not 
well known, though it has great potential in feeding animals due 
to its very low cost.
 
PF is a source of protein, minerals, carbohydrates and fats. PF 
has an energy value of 78 calories, 2.4 grams (g) of carbohydrates, 
5 g of calcium, 17 miligram (mg) of phosphorus, 0.3 mg of iron, 
684 mg of activated vitamin A, 0.1 mg of vitamin B2 (riboavin), 
2.24 mg of niacin and 20 mg of vitamin C. In Ecuador there are 
around 28 thousand hectares (hes) planted PF with an average 
yield of about 14 tons (T) per hes. The main variety is Passiora 
edulis avicarpa (yellow fruit), as its production per hes is higher 
and it is ideal for processing. It is estimated that a well-managed 
plantation can yield 8-10 T per hes in the rst year (yr), 15-20 T in 
the second yr and 12-14 T in the third yr [2].
 
Duchi and Pazmiño [10] have showed that the industrialization 
of PF produces by-products such as PF peel. Originally, these 
industrial by-products were solid waste that contaminated the 
environment (soil, air and water); however, advances in alternative 
animal production methods in the tropics have permitted fresh 
and dry peel to be used as a supplement in dairy (Bos-taurus) and 
beef cattle diets Bos indicus.
Mazón [21] has reported that PFC has a high content of dry 
matter (DM), a general average of 92.85% and an average value 
of 67.32% organic matter (OM). The gross protein (GP) and 
ether extract (EE) showed high values of 23.95 and 11.81%, 
respectively. Gross ber (GF) and nitrogen-free extract (NFE) had 
an average value of 46.27 and 20.98%. The average values of 
neutral detergent ber (NDF) and acid detergent ber (ADF) were 
therefore high, at 72.47 and 69.29%. The average ash content 
was 2.07%, and the general average for calcium and phosphorus 
was 2.85 and 0.32%. The average value of gross energy (GE) 
was 5.19 mega calories per kilogram of dry material (Mcal·kg 
-1
 
DM).
The development of high nutritional quality, low environmental 
impact  and  economically  protable  diets  for  sh  farmers  is  a 
pressing  need  in  the  sh  feed  industry,  especially  for  intensive 
production systems. Rations having these characteristics are 
possible when formulated with ingredients of high nutritional 
value, based on the ingredient digestibility data of each particular 
species [17]. 
 
The rapid expansion of sh farming in recent yr, like other forms 
of intensive animal production, requires improved nutrition as well 
as complete rations [13]. Feed is the most signicant production 
cost; the increased complexity of the feed required in aquaculture 
means that this item normally exceeds 70% of the total cost, and 
therefore justies the eorts to understand the principles of sh 
nutrition and feeding [1, 9].  
Green terror (Andinoacara rivulatus), the target species of 
this work, is native to Peru and Ecuador. Males can reach 30 
centimeter (cm), while females do not exceed 20 cm.  They 
prefer rather high temperatures, not below 25 °C. They are 
very adaptable to pH and water hardness conditions, but they 
do not tolerate the presence of nitrogenated compounds in the 
water (such as ammonium); it is thus essential to change the 
water continuously and have a good ltration system when they 
are grown in captivity. It is an omnivorous sh, so it accepts any 
type of food. However, due to their voracity, they should not be 
overfed, as they will always seem dissatised. They are territorial 
and aggressive, so they should be housed in large ponds and 
never share the same place with smaller sh [22].
Passion fruit  cake (PFC) has  been used  for sh,  poultry  and 
ruminants feeding programs as a source of protein and energy 
in monogastric and ruminant diets. In the case of monogastrics, 
it is used to replace shmeal as the source of animal protein and 
corn (Zea mays) as the energy source, as both products are more 
expensive.  There are reports of research into the use of PFC in 
the diets of native sh such as Andinoacara rivulatus to replace 
industrial shmeal as the source of protein, and yellow corn as the 
source of energy.
Therefore, with the aim of expanding the knowledge of PFC 
and  its  uses  in  animal  feed,  this  study  evaluated  the  eect  of 
diets based on PFC on the yield of the native “green terror” in the 
fattening stage during the dry season.
MATERIAL AND METHODS
Fish housing, feeding and sampling
Four hundred  sh  with an  initial  weight of  44.2  ±  1.5  g were 
used,  and  the  stocking  density  was  25  sh  per  cage  (1.11kg/
meter (m
3
)). There were 16 experimental cages 1 m long x 1 m 
wide x 1 m high, covered with 6 x 8 cm extruded plastic mesh, 
and the tank was 30 x 20 m and 0.8 m deep. An electric balance 
of 5 kg capacity and a minimum weight of 1 g was used for the