Growth potential and body composition of the African catfish Chrysichthys nigrodigitatus (Lacépède, 1803) juveniles fed different locally available feed ingredients

Bagrid catfish Chrysichthys nigrodigitatus has a great aquaculture
potential, excellent taste and high market value in the most countries of
West Africa. However, it is lowly raised in these countries. Among the
constraints to its low raising in Cote d'Ivoire, the unavailability of highquality
feeds adapted to the different growth stages was often reported. The
aim of this study was to formulate quality feeds with locally available
agro-industrial byproducts for juvenile’s growth stage of Chrysichthys
nigrodigitatus to improve the availability of adapted high quality feeds of
this fish and its growth. Thus, locally agro-industrial by-products were
selected based on their availability, cost and nutritional composition in the
three fish farmed agro-ecological areas to formulate and produce three
different isoproteic feeds (35 % crude protein) for juveniles Chrysichthys
nigrodigitatus. Fish of mean initial weight 10.57 ± 3.88 g were fed with the
three feeds produced in earthen ponds in triplicates groups per treatment.
Feed consumption and fish growth (weight and length) were measured
monthly. At the end of 120 days rearing, proximate and mineral
compositions of the fish were determined. Final body weight and daily
weight gain of fish fed varied respectively between 106.27±6.85 (G-35%)
and 149.83±19.01g (SG2-35%), and 0.80±0.06 (G-35%) and 1.16±0.16 g/d
(SG2-35%). Growth of Chrysichthys nigrodigitatus juveniles fed with
isoprotéiques feeds varied with quality of locally raw material used for
feeds production. Body moisture, ash, and gross energy were not
influenced by feed used, but the least body protein content (18.41±0.67 %)
and poorest body lipid content (0.99±0.14%) were observed in fish fed G-
35 % and SG2-35% respectively. Feed SG2-35% at 0.53 USD/kg recorded
the most growth and the best feed utilization ratio.