Breeding Performance of Catla, Catla catla (Ham.) Fed with Different Formulated Diets

Abstract

Breeding performance of catla, (Catla catla) was assessed through feeding trial for three months. Test diets with 30% protein (diet B) and 35% protein (diet C) were developed using a combination of rice bran, groundnut cake and fish meal. The proportion of these ingredients was reduced in diet D and replaced with horse gram, black gram, broken cake, rice and maize. Control diet (diet A) having 25% protein was formulated with 1:1 mixture of rice bran and groundnut oil. The breeding weight loss in females was lower (P<0.05) in treatments A (7.43%) and D (6.37%) and higher in treatments B (8.36%) and C (9.00%) and the difference was significant (P< 0.05). Fecundity, fertilization, hatching and length and weight of hatchlings were the lowest (P<0.05) in fish fed diet A and did not vary (P>0.05) between treatments B and C. Diet D performed superior to diet A in terms of fecundity, percentage of fertilization and hatching and length and weight of hatchlings. Among the different treatments, the highest weight of hatchlings was recorded in treatment D.