Evaluation of African Catfish Clarias gariepinus Responses to Graded Levels of Zinc Practical Diet

Abstract

Abstract

Growth performance, serum biochemistry and physiological response of the African catfish (Clarias gariepinus) juveniles to graded levels of practical dietary zinc in feed were investigated. Water quality was monitored throughout the period of the study and the results showed that all parameters were within the tolerable ranges for catfish. The mean weight of fish fed diet borne zinc nutrients revealed that there were no significant differences in growth responses to graded levels of dietary zinc inclusions of 0.00, 5.46, 10.96, 16.40, 21.86, and 27.33mg Zn kg. However the mean weight for the diet increased with respect to dietary zinc inclusion. There was no significant difference in the specific growth rate, feed conversion ratio, protein efficiency ratio, gross feed conversion efficiency, relative growth rate and feed intake of Clarias gariepinus juvenile fed with the experimental diets at different dietary zinc inclusion level.The blood biochemistry resultsindicated thatthePCVoffish fedwith dietswere significantly different (P>0.05) only for those fed diet 3, 4 and 5 that shows no significant differrence. The serum biochemistry revealed that there was significant variation in the serum -1 totalproteinoftheexperimentalfishwiththehighestvaluesindiet4(3.55mgZnkg )recordedin -1 fish fed with diet containing 16.40mgZnkg while the least concentration value wasrecorded in -1 fish fed with diet 2 (5.46mgZnkg ). Thisstudy revealed that inclusion of dietary zinc in diet of Clariasgariepinushadnosignificantdifferenceonthegrowthperformance,nutrientutilization, haematologyand serum biochemistry parameters of the fish.