ABSTRACT
The study evaluated the effects partial and total replacement of fish meal protein fermented sesame seed meal (SSM) protein in practical diets on growth performance, feed utilization and hematology of African catfish (Clarias gariepinus). Fish of an average initial weight of 5.18g were stocked in 15 plastic aquaria of about 25litres capacity each at a rate of 15 fish per aquarium Fish meal protein (18% of the diet) was used as the sole source of animal protein in the control diet. Percent replacements of fish meal by sesame seed meal on the basis of crude protein were as follows: 0 % (control diet 1), 25 % (diet 2), 50 % (diet 3), 75 % (diet 4) and 100 % (diet 5). African catfish (Clarias gariepinus) Clarias gariepinus juvenile were fed at 5% body weight per day in glass tanks with four iso-nitrogenous diets containing different levels of fermented sesame seed meal (25, 50, 75,100%) for a period of eight weeks. Growth performance and hematological indicators such as weight gain, relative weight gain, specific growth rate, feed conversion ratio, protein intake, protein efficiency ratio, percentage mortality, pack cell volume (PCV), haemoglobin (Hb), red blood cell, white blood cells, mean corpuscular volume (MCV, Mean corpuscular haemoglobin (MCH) and Mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration (MCHC) were used to assess the effects of the diet on the fish. The results of this study revealed that, fish fed on diet 1 (100 % FM) had the highest average body weight, Diet 3, 4 and 5 are significantly different from each other in specific growth rate. Fish fed with SSM at 25% inclusion level gave the best Specific growth rate ( 1.57) which was marginal difference from those fed on fish meal without sesame seed meal (1.06). Feed conversion ratio (FCR) (0.75), and protein efficiency ratio (PER) (1.31), but the lowest was obtained with fish fed diet E (100 % SSM). specific growth rate (SGR)(0.33g) feed conversion ratio (FCR)(0.2.77), and protein efficiency ratio (PER)(0.42), The same parameters of fish fed on diets 2 (25 % SSM) and diet 3 (50 %SSM)were not significantly different (P > 0.05) from those of fish fed on the control diet I.Fish fed on diet 1 (100 % FM) had the pack cell volume(PCV) (38.67), haemoglobin(5.87), red blood cell(6.06), white blood cells(35.00),mean corpuscular volume(MCV)(6.38), Mean corpuscular haemoglobin(MCH)(0.97) and Mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration(MCHC)(0.16) .