Effects of partial replacement of dietary fish-meal by meat-meal, goat liver and shrimp-meal on growth and survival of Clarins batrachus (Linn.)

Abstract

A feeding trial was conducted for 4 weeks to evaluate meat-meal (F2), goat liver (F3) and shrimp-meal (F4) as partial substitutes of fish-meal (F1) in diets of Clarius batrachus post-larvae. Triplicate groups of post-larvae with average initial body weight of 37.7±2.37 mg were each fed 4 iso-nitrogenous feeds at 10% of wet body weight. Performance of the feeds was judged on the basis of growth and per cent survival. The final body weight, per cent weight gain and net biomass gain did not vary among the fish fed on fish-meal, goat liver and shrimp-meal incorporated feeds. The significantly inferior growth performances were observed in post-larvae when fed on shrimp-meal substituted feed compared to that of other feed treatments. Per cent survival of the post-larvae fed F3, was the highest (P&lt0.05), followed by F1 and F2, which were also significantly higher (P &lt0.05) than that of F4 fed post-larvae. The study revealed that meat-meal and goat liver were proved as the most promising partial substitutes of fish-meal in the feeds of Clarias batrachus post-larvae when supplemented at 10% of the total feed or at 22% of the dietary fish-meal.