International Journal of Aquaculture, 2018, Vol.8, No.22, 161-167
162
(Kpoguè and Fiogbé, 2012; Kpoguè et al., 2013b; Kpoguè et al., 2018a; Kpoguè et al., 2018b). No work has yet
been undertaken on feeding frequency of
P. obscura
fingerlings. The aim of study is therefore to determine
optimum frequency of feeding of
P. obscura
fingerlings reared controlled condition.
1 Results
During the experimental, physico-chemical parameters are 27.85 ± 0.29°C for the temperature, 6.57 ± 0.16 mg/L
for the dissolved oxygen and 6.15 ± 0.82 for pH. Survival rate, growth performances (condition factor, specific
growth rate and final body weight) and feed efficiency during the study are presented in Table 1. There was no
mortality recorded during the experiment period. Survival rate didn’t vary among treatments and was 100%
(
p
˃0.05). Growth performances varied significantly with treatments (
p
<0.05). Thus the greatest final body weight
was achieved by the fish fed treatments T2 (3 times/day), T3 (4 times/day) and T4 (5 times/day). The least final
body weight (26.75±0.86 g) was recorded with fish fed treatment T1 (2 times/day). The specific growth rate and
the condition factor improved significantly (
p
<0.05) as feeding frequency increased from twice (T1) for 3
times/day (T2). The augmentation of feeding frequency above 3 times/day did not produce any significant
(
p
˃0.05) improvement of specific growth rate (Figure 1). Feed efficiency did not varied significantly with
treatment (
p
˃0.05). Nevertheless, it varied from 0.51 ± 0.05 (T1) to 0.63 ± 0.12 (T3).
Table 1 Growth performances, feed efficiency and survival rate of experimental fishes
Parameters
T1
T2
T3
T4
Initial body weight (g)
13.23±0.03
a
13.29±0.04
a
13.27±0.06
a
13.29±0.06
a
Final body weight (g)
26.75±0.86
a
30.13±0.55
bc
32.57±1.45
c
33.03±0.42
cd
Feed efficiency
0.51±0.05
a
0.58±0.07
a
0.63±0.12
a
0.62±0.06
a
K (condition factor %)
0.72±0.05
a
0.77±0.01
b
0.78±0.03
b
0.79±0.04
b
Survival rate (%)
100±0.00
a
100±0.00
a
100±0.00
a
100±0.00
a
Figure 1 Relationship between specific growth rate and feeding frequency
2 Discussion
The mean quality of water parameters values (dissolved oxygen, pH temperature) observed in this study were
within the recommended range for
P. obscura
according to Bonou and Teugels (1985) and Riehl and Baensch
(1991). Feeding and feeding frequencies are key factors that determine the growth and survival chances of fishes
(Ndome et al., 2011). Multiple feedings has previously been found to be stimulatory for growth, survival and feed
utilization in fingerlings of Indian major carps (Choudhury et al., 2002; Kiaalvandi et al., 2011; Ashfauq et al.,
2017). The results of our study showed that, in any treatments, a survival rate (100%) was affected by the feeding
frequency. These results confirmed that
P. obscura
is a hardy and rustic species (Kpoguè et al., 2013a). Growth
performances (final body weight, specific growth rate and condition factor) varied significantly with treatment.
But the augmentation of feeding frequency above 3 times/day did not produce any significant (
p
˃0.05)
improvement of growth. The least growth performances were recorded in fingerlings fed with twice/day groups.
