Aquaculture emerges as a crucial solution for addressing the global food shortage of an estimated 10 billion people by 2050. In Türkiye, aquaculture plays a significant role in supporting the economy and ensuring food security. Over the past two decades, finfish production in Türkiye surged from 61,163 to 547,505 t, generating $1.7 billion in export revenue across over 100 countries. This growth has been driven by technological advancements, robust governmental support, and increasing global demand for aquaculture products. However, the sector also faces persistent challenges, including the need to enhance sustainability, mitigate ecological impacts, and manage finite resources. As Europe's leading fish producer, the Turkish aquaculture sector must continue to innovate and expand to meet the demands of a growing population. Despite the expanding research on Turkish finfish aquaculture, there is no comprehensive review that consolidates both scientific progress and sectoral developments. This study fills that void by combining a bibliometric analysis of 1958 scientific publications from 1983 to 2023 with an in‐depth sectoral evaluation, providing a holistic understanding of the Turkish aquaculture sector. The bibliometric analysis highlights key research areas, trends, and knowledge gaps, while the sectoral overview examines production trends, dynamics of the feed industry, technological innovations, and economic factors. It also addresses challenges such as climate change impacts, reliance on imported feed ingredients, and disease issues, discussing potential avenues for sustainable growth through innovation, policy reforms, and technological integration. This review serves as a valuable resource for researchers, policymakers, and industry stakeholders, offering insights into the current state and future directions of finfish aquaculture in Türkiye.

A 90-day study was conducted to investigate the effects of substituting sunflower oil (SFO) for fish oil (FO) on various parameters in Labeo rohita (initial weight 18.21 ± 0.22 g). Five experimental diets with different levels of SFO (up to 7%) substitution for FO (0%, 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100%) were formulated, ensuring equal levels of nitrogen and lipids. The results indicated that even with 100% substitution of SFO with FO, there were no significant differences (P>0.05) were observed in growth performance. The survival rate (SR), hepato-somatic index (HSI), and viscero-somatic index (VSI) as well as whole-body composition were also nonsignificant by SFO substitution. However, the fatty acid profiles in both muscle and liver were influenced (P<0.05) by dietary substitution. Saturated fats (SFA) decreased, while monounsaturated fats (MUFA), and linoleic acid (LA) increased (P<0.05). On the other hand, the contribution of linolenic acid (ALA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) decreased (P<0.05) as the amount of SFO in the diet increased. Hematology parameters, including red blood cells (RBCs), hemoglobin (Hb), and hematocrit (Hct), were not affected. Globulin (GLO) levels decreased significantly (P0.05). Total protein (TP) increased (P<0.05) at 100% SFO inclusion in the diet, and albumin (ALB) levels increased (P0.05), while low-density lipids (LDL) were significantly increased (P0.05) changes. Superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and catalase (CAT) activities in the liver and serum were not significantly (P>0.05) affected, while malondialdehyde (MDA) status was significantly (P<0.05) reduced. In conclusion, the fatty acid profile of the muscle and liver of fish was modified by the diets, and FO can be substituted with SFO up to 100% for L. rohita, which is beneficial for growth and immunity while marinating the lipid contents in fish. Our study revealed that fully replacing fish oil with SFO shows promise in fully replacing FO without compromising the growth and overall health status of the fish.

The present study was conducted to evaluate the effect of different dietary protein levels on digestive enzyme activities, nutrient assimilation as well as growth performance in striped catfish (Pangasianodon hypophthalmus). Fish were fed with four semi-purified formulated diets with increasing levels of protein: 30% (CP30), 35% (CP35), 40% (CP40) and 45% (CP45) for 12 weeks. At the end of the feed trial, the highest weight gain (29.88 g fish-1), specific growth rate (3.58%) and lower feed conversion ratio (1.91) were observed in fish that were fed with a 40% protein diet while CP30 treatment group had the poorest growth performance indicators (P<0.05). Proximate analysis revealed that fish fed with either CP40 (18.50%) or CP45 (19.33%) diets had the highest protein content in comparison to that fed CP30 (17.13%) and CP35 (17.00%) diets. Similarly, the highest body lipid content was CP35 (4.20%) treatment group and the lowest in CP40 (3.83%). The amino acid in the harvested fillets was also significantly higher (P<0.05) in both CP40 and CP45 dietary treatments. The increasing dietary protein level also elevated both protease and amylase activity, while lipase activity significantly decreased (P<0.05). The study revealed that a 40 % protein level diet produced from regional ingredients in the Middle East had yielded optimal growth performance and higher muscle quality in striped catfish.