Effect of Fish Meal Replacement with Blood Meal on the Growth Response and Utilization of Hybrid (Clarias gariepinus ♀ X Heterobranchus bidosarlis ♂) Fingerlings

Abstract

This study examined the replacement of fishmeal with bloodmeal (BM) in Practical diets of clariid catfish hybrid “Heteroclarias” (Clarias gariepinus ♀ x Heterobranchus longifilis ♂) fingerlings. Five diets containing varying levels were formulated. Diet 1, (10% BM); Diet 2, (15% BM); Diet 3, (20% BM); Diet 4 (25% BM) and Diet 5 (30% BM) as a replacement for fishmeal were fed to three replicate of Heteroclarias with an initial weight of 5.9±0.01 g. Diet 1, (10% BM) had the best growth rate and feed utilization (p<0.05) as it had the highest value of weight gain (1.60), feed intake (2.53), relative weight gain of 15.66 and Specific Growth Rate of 1.58. There was no significant difference (P<0.05) in the feed conversion ratio across all five treatments. Therefore, bloodmeal can replace fishmeal totally but will be best at 10% replacement level in diets of Heteroclarias without compromising the growth and carcass composition.