FISH NUTRITION: GROWTH PERFORMANCE AND BLOOD PARAMETERS OF AFRICAN CATFISH FED MANGO PEEL MEAL-BASED DIETS

Reducing feed cost is a major challenge in Aquaculture nutrition. Apart from high cost, most fish feed ingredients are also being competed for as food by man. Thus, the need for development of economic nutrient-complete diet for continuing expansion of aquaculture industry. A feeding trial was conducted to investigate the effect of mango peel meal (MPM) on growth performance of Clarias gariepinus. One hundred and twenty (120) fingerlings of C. gariepinus of average weight of 5.2±0.13g were stocked at 10 fish per plastic bowl (44L) in the wet laboratory. Four (4) iso-nitrogenous diets containing 40% crude protein in which maize was replaced by MPM at 0% (TD1), 25% (TD2), 50% (TD3) and 75% (TD4) levels were formulated. The fingerlings were fed at 5% body weight per day for 56 days. It was observed at the end of the experiment that MPM was most suitable as an energy supplement when incorporated at 25% replacement. Nevertheless, higher level of replacement with MPM above 50% decreased growth rate of C. gariepinus fingerlings. Thus this book addresses low-income group in fish farming especially in rural areas where mango peel can be utilized as catfish feed ingredient.