Growth performance and nutrient utilization of African catfish (clarias gariepinus) fed varying dietary levels of processed cassava leaves

Abstract

Four isocarloric and isonitrogenous diets were formulated to contain 0%, 33.3%, 66.7% and 100% cassava leaves to replace equal weight of maize meal. All the four treatment diets were fed to catfish (Clarias gariepinus) fingerlings in replicate for 16 weeks. The best growth response was obtained in fish fed 66.7% cassava leaves inclusion. Fish fed 100% cassava leaves had the lowest growth response. All the treatment diets showed that growth due to increasing dietary cassava leaves were significant (P<0.05). The results revealed that optimum requirement of cassava leaves level in the formulation of practical diets for the improve growth of Clarias gariepinus was 66.7% cassava leaves.