Squid Meal

Squid meal is a high-attractability marine ingredient produced by cooking, drying, and milling squid (generally Dosidicus gigas or processing byproducts), with crude protein around 65-75% and a distinctive soluble fraction rich in free amino acids — taurine, glutamate, glycine, alanine — plus nucleotides and small peptides that trigger strong chemosensory feeding responses. It is used at low inclusions, typically 2-8%, in starter and weaning feeds for marine fish (seabass, seabream, grouper, flounder) and shrimp, where it lifts intake of low-fish-meal or unpalatable high-SPC diets. Beyond attractancy, its amino acid profile complements plant proteins, and its mineral fraction (including highly available phosphorus) is a useful contribution. Product variability is the main quality issue: meals from fresh vs. ensiled raw material, and meal vs. hydrolyzed powder (soluble-rich), perform differently; buyers should specify soluble protein content, taurine level, freshness indicators (TVB-N, biogenic amines), and salt content. Squid meal and krill meal are frequently blended, or squid hydrolysate used as a top-dressing, in premium larval and nursery formulations. It competes functionally with krill meal at lower cost but generally lower consistency across batches.