The Effects of Two Chemo-attractants and Different First Feeds on the Growth Performances of African Catfish (Clarias gariepinus, Burchell, 1822) at Different Larval Stages

Authors: ERDAL YILMAZ

Abstract: In this study, 4 days old African catfish larvae were fed with trout starter diet, minced beef liver and fresh water mussel, dried tubifex, DL-alanine and betaine supplemented trout starter, artemia nauplii and a combined diet consisting of boiled chicken egg yolk, minced mussel and dried tubifex as the first feed after yolk absorption for a week. At the end of the first period, it was observed that DL-alanine and betaine supplementation did not improve the larval growth and survival compared to other feeds. In the second stage of this study, ten days old larvae of Clarias gariepinus were fed with trout starter, artemia and trout starter, only DL- alanine, only betaine and both DL- alanine and betaine supplemented trout starter diets for 30 days. In contrast to first stage, DL-alanine and betaine supplementation improved the growth and survival rates. These results showed that DL-alanine and betaine did not have any attracting role in the pre-larval stage; however, in the post-larval stage, they had a very strong effect on the survival and growth rate of the African catfish, Clarias gariepinus.

Keywords: Clarias gariepinus, larvae, starter feeds, attractant, DL-alanine, betaine

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