Growth Performance, Haematological Parameters and Carcass Composition of African Catfish (Clarias gariepinus) Fingerlings Fed Varying Inclusion Levels of Teigonella foenum-graecum Seed Meal

• N. Osungbemiro

  Department of Biology, Adeyemi Federal University of Education, P.M.B. 520, Ondo, Nigeria

  Author

The present study aimed to assess the impact of various inclusion levels of Teigonella foenum-graecum seed meal on Clarias gariepinus juveniles. Five diets, each containing 40% crude protein, were formulated with different levels of T. foenum-graecum seed meal (0.0, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, and 2.5 g/kg), designated as diets T1 through T5. Two hundred and twenty-five (225) C. gariepinus fingerlings with mean weight of 4.81±0.10g were randomly selected and distributed into 15 glass tanks at the rate of 15 fish per tank representing five treatments and three replicates. Fish were fed to satiation twice daily (08:00-09:00 hours and 16:00-17:00 hours) over a fifty-six-day period in a laboratory setting. Fish were weighed biweekly until the conclusion of the experiment. At the end of the experiment, the results showed that dissolved oxygen ranged between 5.23-5.28 mg/L, temperature between 26.56–26.61C and pH between 6.12-6.19. Fish fed diet 4(2.0 g/kg) had the highest weight gain compared to the control and other treatments. A reduction in growth as the T. foenum-graecum seed meal increased beyond 2.0 g/kg was observed in diet 5. The inclusion of T. foenum-graecum seed meal at different levels in the diets positively influenced blood parameters, with significant differences (p<0.05) observed in the parameters tested. Proximate analysis of the fish showed significant differences in protein content, with the highest level observed in fish fed diet T3 (65.3%) and the lowest in fish fed diet T1 (60.5%). In conclusion, the study suggests that an inclusion level of 2.0 g/kg of T. foenum-graecum seed meal in the diet of C. gariepinus is optimal for promoting growth and improving nutrient utilization..

1. N. Osungbemiro, Department of Biology, Adeyemi Federal University of Education, P.M.B. 520, Ondo, Nigeria

   Department of Biology, Adeyemi Federal University of Education, P.M.B. 520, Ondo, Nigeria

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