Fruit Powder of Tetrapleura tetraptera in a Local Feed on the Survival, Some Growth Characteristics and Bromatological Composition of the Flesh of Juveniles of Clarias gariepinus (Burchell, 1822) in fastanks

Objective: This study was carried out to evaluate the effect of the supplementation rate of Tetrapleura tetraptera fruit powder in a local feed on the survival and some growth characteristics of juveniles of Clarias gariepinus in fastanks in the Littoral Region of Cameroon. It was carried out from March 29 to June 30, 2023 in the Ard Group Fish Farm located in the Sanaga Maritime Department, Littoral Region of Cameroon.

Methodology: 225 juveniles weighing 10.00 ± 0.76g were divided into five treatments arranged in triplicate in a randomized manner. T0+ branded imported feed (Gouessant), T0- feed without supplement, T0.4, T0.5 and T0.6 which were respectively supplemented with 0.4%, 0.5% and 0.6% of Tetrapleura tetraptera fruit powder. Each diet corresponds to a treatment. The fish were fed to satiety until the end of the experiment and every 24 days a control fishing was carried out during which the juveniles per treatment were counted and measurements were taken on the entire population.

Results: The main water parameters were recorded daily before feeding. The highest survival rate (83.33 ± 8.33%) was recorded with subjects fed T0.5 feed. average weight gain (162.97 ± 2.90 g), average daily weight gain (1.73 ± 0.03 g), specific growth rate (3.39 ± 0.01%/g) and condition factor K (1.12 ± 0.00) were significantly higher (p < 0.05) and were recorded with the T0.4% treatment. The significantly lower (p < 0.05) consumption index (1.89 ± 0.07) was recorded with the subjects also fed T0.4% food. Furthermore, the lowest feed production cost was recorded with the T0% T.tetraptera treatment (868.8 ± 8.82Fcfa).

Conclusion: This study clearly showed that supplementation of Tetrapleura tetraptera fruit powder improves tracking and growth performance as well as the feed cost of producing one kilogram of Clarias gariepinus market fish.