Abstract
BackgroundThe consumption of edible frogs caught mainly from the wild is on the rise and their population declining. A challenge to frog farming is the acceptability of artificial diets by frogs. Three artificial diets for the culture of a tropical edible frog Hoplobatrachus occipitalis from tadpole stage to full metamorphosis were evaluated. One hundred eighty Hoplobatrachus occipitalis tadpoles (average length and weight of 5.8 cm ± 0.1 and 1.90+ g ± 0.1) were distributed into three experimental tanks with 60-L water capacity each, renewed through a flow-through system. The tadpoles were fed twice daily at 10% of body mass for 112 days with duckweed, pawpaw leaf, and Coppens fish feed. Water quality parameters and proximate composition of the feeds were determined.ResultsTadpoles fed with duckweed produced the highest percentage weight gained, specific growth rate, feed intake, and efficient food conversion, with mortality of 10%, survival of 90%, and metamorphosis rate of 100%. This was followed by tadpoles fed with pawpaw leaf and those fed with fish feed. Mortality in these two groups was 15%, survival 85%, and metamorphosis rate 98%. Water quality in the tanks was within the ranges optimal for the growth and survival of the tadpoles. The highest growth percentage recorded in tadpoles fed duckweed was due to the high percentage of crude protein in the feed, which was highly digestible and absorbable by the tadpoles. The duckweed suits the herbivorous feeding of the tadpoles which converted the feed to high biomass. A similar trend was observed for pawpaw leaf, and its growth performance as compared to duckweed was due to its low protein content. The lowest growth performance showed in tadpoles fed with Coppens feed in spite of its very high crude protein was due to the lower intake of the feed resulting in high FCR, ineffective absorbance, and utilization of the protein in the feed on the account of herbivorous feeding of the tadpoles. Size, pellet form, floating time, and odor of the feed were other factors responsible for the lower growth performance.ConclusionDuckweed is a good artificial diet for the breeding of Hoplobatrachus occipitalis due to its high protein content and acceptability by the species.
Highlights
The consumption of edible frogs caught mainly from the wild is on the rise and their population declining
Coppens fish feed showed the highest amount of crude protein (42%), followed by duckweed (40.2%), while pawpaw leaf had the lowest (32%) among the three feeds used
The tadpoles fed with duckweed showed the highest growth rate, followed by those fed with pawpaw leaf, while tadpoles fed with Coppens fish feed showed the least growth rate after 16 weeks of feeding
Summary
The consumption of edible frogs caught mainly from the wild is on the rise and their population declining. The acceptance and consumption of edible frogs in sub-Saharan Africa is on the increase due to the increasing cost of traditional sources of animal protein such as beef, chicken, and fish Most of these edible frogs are caught from the wild, and the overexploitation of the frogs along with habitat loss and degradation are among the greatest factors contributing to the declining population of these frogs. Edible frog culture/farming will be a promising and profitable venture like fish farming and could overtake fish culture as a sustainable aquaculture species This is due to the increasing demand of frog as an alternative source of animal protein, as well as its competitive edge in terms of production, affordability, and nutritive value as comparable to fish, beef, and chicken. Frog culture will help in conserving the species as well as providing employment and income to people
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