ABSTRACT
Growth performance is an essential aspect of aquaculture production as this measures the biomass production. A ten-week feeding trial was conducted to evaluate the growth performance of Clarias gariepinus fed various supplementary levels of Chitin and Chitosan extracted from snail shells. A total of five hundred and seventy-six juveniles were allotted to six varying treatments consisting of the basal diet (negative control), Chitin at 3% and 6%, Chitosan at 0.03% and 0.06% and the basal diet plus 0.08% Terramycin all indicating Treatments 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 respectively. Thirty-two fingerlings were stocked in 18 plastic tanks and the treatments were replicated three times each. At the end of the feeding trial, the growth parameters determined were weight gain, relative weight gain, specific growth rate, survival rate, feed intake, feed conversion ratio and protein efficiency ratio. There was no significant difference (p<0.05) in all the growth parameters across the various treatments. The highest weight gain 207.33g was observed in treatment 3 (basal diet + 6% snail chitin) and the least value, 129.89g was recorded in treatment 1 (basal diet). The increase in mean weight gain observed in the treatments showed that the diets were nutritionally adequate. Treatment 3 (basal diet + 6% snail chitin) had the highest relative weight gain of 71.81%. However, the least relative weight gain 60.37% was recorded in treatment 1 (basal diet). In the same vein, highest specific growth rate (SGR) 3.75 was shown by treatment 3 (basal diet + 6% snail Chitin) and treatment 1 had least value of 3.04. There was no significant difference in the feed conversion ratio and protein efficiency ratio amongst all treatments. The results shows that fish fed with Chitin and Chitosan from snail shells performed well compared to the basal diet, thus making it a supplement of choice for aquaculture production.
Keywords: Growth, Chitin, Chitosan
