Effect of partial or total supplementation of soybean meal with fluted pumpkin ( Telfairia occidentalis ) seed meal in the diet of hybrid Catfish (Heteroclarias) fingerlings.

The study evaluated the effect of partial or total supplementation of soybean meal with full-fat Telifaria occidentalis seed meal on performance and whole body composition of Heteroclarias fingerlings. Five iso-nitrogenous (40% crude protein) basal diets were prepared using locally available feedstuffs, while T. occidentalis seed meal was added at varying inclusion levels (0%, 25%, 50%, 75% and 100%). One hundred and fifty apparently healthy Heteroclarias fingerlings (4.26 ± 0.26 g) were stocked in glass tanks (50 L capacity) at 10 fish / tank with each treatment in triplicate. Fish were fed at 5% body weight in two equal portions daily for 56 days and culture water changed on alternate days. The result of this study showed a significant variation ( p  < .05) in crude protein and lipid contents of whole body composition of Heteroclarias fingerlings-fed T. occidentalis seed meal supplemented diets compared with the control. Increasing levels of fat and protein deposition were also observed in the muscle of Heteroclarias with increase in T. occidentalis . Also, some growth evaluation indices (weight gain, specific growth rate, feed intake, and protein efficiency ratio) of Heteroclarias fingerlings decreased with increase in inclusion levels of T. occidentalis seed meal. Dissolved oxygen in culture units also decreased with increase in T. occidentalis . From this study, chemical body composition of Heteroclarias fed T. occidentalis seed meal supplemented diets increased with increase in inclusion levels, while the reverse was the case in weight gain. There was a decline in the quantity of dissolved oxygen with increase in quantity of T. occidentalis seed meal. Other water parameters such as pH, temperature, nitrate, and ammonia were within the limits for culturing tropical fish species.