Evaluation of local feed resources as alternatives to fish meal in terms of growth performance, feed utilisation and biological indices of striped catfish (Pangasianodon hypophthalmus) fingerlings

A 16-week feeding experiment was conducted to evaluate growth performance, feed utilisation and body indices of striped catfish (Pangasianodon hypophthalmus) fed diets where fish meal protein was replaced with protein from local feed resources. The reference diet contained fish meal as the main crude protein (CP) source, whilst in the six test diets 20 to 100% of the fish meal CP was replaced with CP from local ingredients (soybean meal, cassava leaf meal, sweet potato leaf meal, groundnut cake, golden apple snail meal and shrimp head meal). Final body weight (BW) and total weight gain (WG) were lowest for the cassava leaf meal diet (P < 0.05), whilst there were no differences in BW and WG between the other diets. Final BW, WG and daily weight gain were numerically highest for the shrimp head meal diet. Fish survival rate, feed intake, feed utilisation and fish fillet proportion did not differ between the reference diet and the test diets (P > 0.05). The viscerasomatic, hepato-somatic, kidney and intra-peritoneal fat indices differed between treatments (P < 0.05). The results suggest that fish meal protein in feed for striped catfish fingerlings can be replaced with protein from locally available plant and animal ingredients without compromising growth performance, feed utilisation and carcass traits. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.