Growth Performance, Blood Chemistry, and Intestinal Bacterial Community of Florida Pompano (Trachinotus carolinus) Fed Different Levels of Corn Fermented Protein and Yeast Diets

Developing species-specific diets for Florida pompano (Trachinotus carolinus) requires understanding both nutritional needs and ingredient responses in practical formulations. Previous research has successfully reduced animal protein inclusion to ~15% by using solvent-extracted soybean meal (SBM) as the primary protein source. Further cost savings may be achieved by incorporating other low-cost alternatives, such as corn fermented protein (CFP), a new sustainable ingredient produced using Fluid Quip Technologies. A 12-week growth trial was conducted with juvenile Florida pompano (initial weight 6.08 ± 0.55 g) using a fishmeal-free basal diet. The basal diet contained poultry by-product meal (15% diet) and the SBM (52% diet) as primary protein sources. The SBM was then incrementally replaced with CFP (5%, 10%, and 20% diet) and Saccharomyces cerevisiae fermentation product (FSC) (2%) on an equal protein basis. All diets were formulated to be isonitrogenous (40% protein) and isolipidic (8% lipid), and fish were reared in a recirculating aquaculture system (RAS). Fish across all treatments exhibited similar growth metrics, including final weight (FW) (44.61–56.98 g), weight gain (WG) (557%–738%), and feed conversion ratio (FCR) (1.56–1.75), with no significant differences (p  > 0.05). Blood parameters remained within healthy ranges, and microbiome analyses revealed stable gut bacterial diversity and composition among treatments. These results suggest that CFP can be used as a protein source in practice for Florida pompano without impairing growth, health status, or intestinal microbiota composition.