ISSN 2169-3048
International Journal of Biochemistry and Biotechnology Vol. 1 (4), pp. 150-155, June, 2012. © International Scholars Journals
Full Length Research Paper
Evaluation of growth performance of tilapia (oreochromis mossambicus) using low cost fish feed
Mukti Pada Bag1, Subhas Chandra Mahapatra2, Pavuluri Srinivasa Rao3 and Debajyoti Chakrabarty4*
1Indian Institute of Technology, Rural Development Centre, Kharagpur, Paschim Medinipur, India.
2Indian Institute of Technology, Rural Development Centre, Kharagpur, Paschim Medinipur, India.
3Indian Institute of Technology, Agricultural and Food Engineering Department, Paschim Medinipur, West Bengal, India.
4Krishnagar Government College, Department of Zoology, Krishnagar, Nadia, India.
*Corresponding Author’s E-mail: [email protected]
Received February 29, 2012; Accepted June 09, 2012
Abstract
A comprehensive trial was undertaken to assess the effect of various types of low cost non-conventional fish feed on the biomass conversion rate as well as on gonad (ovarian) weight in Mozambique tilapia, Oreochromis mossambicus. Three groups of juvenile fish (5.0 ± 0.15 g; 4.5 ± 0.12 cm) were fed with three different types of feeds with earthworm meal (EWM), slaughter house offal meal (SOM) and hydrated poultry feather meal (PFM). These fish feeds were isonitrogenus (30 g 100 g–1) and isocaloric (4 Kcal g–1) in nature. The EWM made with dry earthworm dust, rice bran, mustard oil cake and eggshell powder proved to be the best and economical feed among the three feed tested. Significant difference (P<0.05) in body weight gain, protein efficiency ratio and gonadosomatic index were observed among fish fed the EWM, SOM and PFM diets. No significant differences (P<0.05) in feed conversion ratio, energy retention and hepatosomatic index were observed. Among the dietary treatment groups, significantly lower (P<0.05) moisture content of body and higher whole-body protein were also found in EWM diets. The earth-worm possibly contained better quality of protein which in turn influenced somatic as well as reproductive growth of those fish. The study suggests that the EWM diet, which led to be significantly higher (P<0.05) growth and nutrient utilization than the other two diets in tilapia, O. mossambicus, may be used for pond culture of this species.
Key words: Oreochromis mossambicus, non-conventional, biomass, gonad, isonitrogenous and isocaloric