A Study on growth performance and proximate composition of African catfish (Clarias gariepinus) fed diets containing varying levels of vitamin A fortified cassava leaf meal

This study was conducted to evaluate the growth performance and fillet quality of Clarias gariepinus fed varying levels of vitamin A fortified cassava leaf meal (VA-F-CLM) as a partial replacement for soybean meal. Four isonitrogenous experimental diets were formulated replacing soybean with vitamin A fortified cassava leaf meal at 0%, 5%, 10% and 15% (T1, T2, T3 and T4, respectively). A total of 120 juvenile Clarias gariepinus averaging 15±0.56g were randomly distributed into twelve aquaria at ten fish per aquarium, with three replicate aquaria for each experimental diet. During the feeding trial, fish were fed to satiation twice daily. At the end of a sixty-day feeding trial, weight gain and feed efficiency of fish fed T1 were significantly higher than values for fish fed T2, T3 and T4 (P<0.05). There was a difference (P<0.05) in weight gain, feed efficiency, protein efficiency ratio and feed efficiency ratio of fish fed experimental diets. Weight gain and feed efficiency of fish fed T2 were significantly higher than those of fish fed T3 and T4. Protein efficiency ratio of fish fed T1 was significantly higher than values for fish fed T3 and T4. Based on growth performance, VA-F-CLM could replace up to 5% of soybean protein. Dry matter and ash, increased (P<0.05) with increasing levels of dietary VA-F-CLM supplementation. Moreover optimum protein content in fish fillet was recorded with T2.