Nutritional Value and Digestibility of Fermented Shrimp Head Waste Meal by African Catfish <i>Clarias gariepinus</i>

Abstract

Feeding trials and digestibility studies were conducted in recirculatory systems to assess the effect of replacing fish meal with 0, 5, 10, 20, 30 and 40% fermented shrimp head waste meal (FSHM) in practical diets for African catfish Clarias gariepinus. The different levels of FSHM were mixed with other ingredients to formulate 40% protein diets (Diets 1-6). The diets were fed to fingerlings of C. gariepinus (12.0± 0.03g) at 3% body weight per day for 84 days. The effect of the diets on the growth, carcass and mineral compositions of the fishes were evaluated. Results showed no significant variation (p>0.05) in apparent digestibility coefficient (ADC) of nutrients ADCprotein and ADCenergy, protein efficiency ratio (PER), food conversion ratio (FCR) and hepasomatic index of the fishes fed all the diets. However, the fishes fed diets (1-5) had similar (p>0.05) mean weight gain (MWG) and specific growth rate (SGR), which differed significantly (p<0.05) from the MWG and SGR of the group of fishes fed diet 6. Carcass yield and mineral depositions differed marginally in the fishes fed the various diets. Comparative costs analyses indicated that the best profit margin would be realized by replacing fish meal with 30% FSHM in the diet of the fish.