Effects of energetic diets on growth, blood chemistry, and liver pathology of African catfish, Clarias gariepinus (Burchell 1822)

Abstract

The effects of isonitrogenous diets (350 g crude protein/kg diet) with different energy levels (10.85, 11.82, 12.73, 13.69, and 15.06 MJ dietary energy/kg feed) on growth, feed utilization, blood chemistry, and liver histopathology of African catfish, Clarias gariepinus, were investigat- ed to determine the optimum diet for this species. The diet containing 12.73 MJ digestible ener- gy/kg feed resulted in the best growth, blood parameters, and liver histology. Fish that consumed the 10.85 and 11.82 diets had similar weight gains, feed, and protein utilization as fish fed diets containing 13.69 or 15.06 MJ (p>0.05) but fish fed diets containing 13.69 or 15.06 MJ/kg had signs of hepatic lipidosis.