Notonectids as Live Food for Olive Barb, Puntius Sarana

Abstract

A feeding experiment was conducted in 40-L tanks each stocked with four fry of olive barb (2.05 ± 0.22 g). Dead notonectids (T1), live notonectids (T2), co-feeding of live notonectids and prepared diet (T3), prepared diet (T4), and plankton concentrate (T5) were fed ad libitum as the five treatments, each maintained with four replications. Proximate composition revealed higher protein and crude lipid contents in both notonectids and plankton concentrate compared to the prepared diet. The insect consumption rate was significantly higher with provision of dead insects (T1), followed by co-feeding of live insect and prepared diet (T3), and the live form (T2) (P < 0.05). Fry showed significantly higher final body weight and net weight gain, as well as specific growth rate, in co-fed group compared to those provided with live or dead insects. Growth performances decreased significantly when fed with prepared diet or plankton concentrate alone. While olive barb fry exhibited a preference for notonectids over the other diets, co-feeding appeared to offer a better nutritional profile for achieving higher growth. The study also indicated possibility of using olive barb as a good candidate for in situ biological control of notonectids during fingerling rearing of barbs and carps.