Growth performance and hematological effects of varying dietary processed <i>leucaena leucocephala</i> seed meal in <i>clarias gariepinus</i> (burchell, 1822) juveniles

Abstract

This study investigated growth performance and hematological effects of varying dietary processed Leucaena leucocephala seed meal (LSM) in Clarias gariepinus (Burchell, 1822) juveniles. Seeds of L. leucocephala were processed by soaking in water for 72 hours in order to improve their nutritional quality as a protein source for aquaculture. Five isonitrogenous diets (40% crude protein) containing different dietary levels of processed leucaena seed meals (LSM) at 0, 25, 50, 75 and 100% proportions of fishmeal were fed to Clarias gariepinus juveniles (21.25 ± 1.18 gaverage weight) for 70 days. The processed leucaena seeds and the five diets prepared were analyzed for their proximate composition. Data were collected on fish growth, feed consumption pattern and haematology. At the end of the experiment, dietary leucaena seed meal produced positive growth effect in fish under all the treatments. Growth performance and feed utilization efficiency of fish fed dietary LSM was inferior with increasing LSM inclusions as weight gain reduced from 26.49 ± 0.62g indiet 1 (0% LSM) to 20.25 ± 0.10g in diet 5 (100% LSM). There was, however, no significant difference between the weights gains, protein efficiency ratio (PER), feed conversion ratio (FCR) and specific growth rate (SGR) of fish fed on 0% and 25% LSM diets (p>0.05). Haematology of experimental fish also was significantly inferior (p