Effect of three diets on growth and survival rates of African catfish Heterobranchus bidorsalis larvae

Abstract

Investigations are underway in the Centre de Recherches Océanologiques d'Abidjan (Côte d'Ivoire) to find whether the catfish (Heterobranchus bidorsalis) could be an interesting aquaculture species. Within this framework a 28-day aquarium culture feeding trial was conducted to investigate the effects of three diets (Artemia salina nauplii, beef brain enriched with vitamins, and a compound food) on the growth and survival rates in 2-day post hatch H. bidorsalis. The feeding experiments started after the yolk sac of the larvae was absorbed (initial mean weight = 2.03±0.38 mg). Larvae fed Artemia nauplii had a higher growth rate (final mean weight = 708.60±411.61 mg] than those fed beef brain (381.81±118.88 mg) or compound food (102.72±48.09 mg). Conversely, the beef brain diet yielded a better survival rate (70.47±9.48%) than the Artemia nauplii (38.72±7.74%) or the compound diet (5.37±2.24%). Thus, beef brain can be used as a starter food for larval rearing of H. bidorsalis.