Abstract

Plant protein soybean was evaluated as replacements for fish meal in practical diets prepared with 40% crude protein to assess the performance of Clarias batrachus fed different levels. Diets-1-4 contained 65, 130, 195, 260 g kg-1 of raw soybean whereas diets 5-8 contained processed soybean with same level as that of diets- 1-4. Other ingredients like sesame oil cake, rice bran, wheat flour, mineral premix and cod liver oil were also added in diets to fulfill the nutritional requirements. Fish meal (as chief protein source) was used to prepare reference diet (Diet-R). The study was conducted in fresh water in 18 aquariums in duplicates equipped with aeration systems. After 60 days, the weight gain of catfish fed diet-5 (with 65 g kg-1) and diet-6 (with 130 g kg-1) processed soybean was higher than that observed in fish fed on reference as well as diets 1-4 and 8th. Other growth parameters Growth % gain, Specific growth rate (SGR), Viscero somatic index (VSI) and Hepato somatic index (HSI) were also recorded high in diets 5th and 6th. This indicates that soybean meal could be substitute of fishmeal in aquaculture feed.

Keywords

Clarias batrachus, Fish meal, Growth parameters, Soybean meal, Crude protein.

Received on 26/04/2019, Accepted on 05/05/2019, Published on 16/05/2019