Journal of Fish Health
Vol. 6 No. 3 (2026): Journal of Fish Health

Effects of Four Hydrocolloid Binders on Paste-Feed Stability and Behavioral Acceptance by Rice Field Eels (Monopterus albus)

Nurmahraini (Study Program of Aquaculture, Department of Fisheries and Marine Science, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Mataram)
Zaenal Abidin (Study Program of Aquaculture, Department of Fisheries and Marine Science, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Mataram)
Rangga Idris Affandi (Study Program of Aquaculture, Department of Fisheries and Marine Science, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Mataram)



Article Info

Publish Date
13 Aug 2026

Abstract

Rice field eels (Monopterus albus) are economically valuable, but culture development is constrained by continued reliance on wild stocks and natural feeds. This study explored how alginate, carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), guar gum, and carrageenan, each included at 0%, 10%, 15%, or 20%, affected the water stability of paste feed. A separate behavioral-acceptance assessment compared the control with 10% alginate, 15% CMC, 15% guar gum, and 15% carrageenan. Stability observations were conducted in triplicate. The available experimental records did not establish independent animal-level units for the acceptance assessment; therefore, acceptance outcomes are reported descriptively and should not be interpreted as confirmatory treatment effects. Water addition differed among formulations (approximately 5–20 mL), creating a confounding effect between binder treatment and moisture content. Under these conditions, feeds containing 10% guar gum or 10% carrageenan remained physically intact longer than the other tested formulations. Behavioral-response counts did not provide reliable evidence of differences among acceptance treatments. These findings are exploratory and identify guar gum and carrageenan formulations for further testing in experiments that standardize moisture content and use clearly defined, randomized, independent animal or tank replicates.

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Journal Info

Abbrev

jfh

Publisher

Subject

Agriculture, Biological Sciences & Forestry

Description

The Journal of Fish Health (JFH) has an objective to publish and provide high-quality scientific contributions to the field of fish health. These contributions are sourced from innovative research that encourages science and technology development in the field of fish health on a national and ...