Author(s): Richard Adande, Mouhamadou Nourou Dine Liady, Comlan Ephrem Tossavi and Emile Didier Fiogbe

Abstract: Plurispecific fresh water zooplankton produced with rabbit manure, and dry artemia in powder (artemia Shell free) were used to evaluate survival and growth performances of larvae of Clarias gariepinus, Heterobranchus longifilis and heteroclarias witch initial weights are respectively 2.5 ± 0.0, 2 ± 0.14, 2.7 ± 0.1 mg for 12 days. Six experimental diets were tested in out of ponds by triplicate as follow: Czoo (Clarias gariepinus fed with fresh water zooplankton), C_art (Clarias gariepinus fed with artemia), H_zoo (Heterobranchus longifilis fed with fresh water zooplankton), H_art (Heterobranchus longifilis fed with artemia), HC_zoo (heteroclarias fed with fresh water zooplankton) and HC_Art (heteroclarias fed with artemia). At the end of rearing Czoo, Cart, Hzoo, Hart, HCzoo and HC_art gave respectively survival rates of 74 and 73.5%, 63.5 and 60% and 70 and 62%. Final mean weights recorded were 15.54 ± 0.37, 13.3 ± 0.97, 34.13 ± 2.31, 36.46 ± 1.16_, 18.14 ± 0.71 and 16.25 ± 0.52 mg for Czoo, Cart_, Hzoo, Hart, HCzoo and HC_art with specific growth rates respectively of 15.22 ± 0.20, 13.91 ± 0.60, 24 ± 1.18, 24.56 ± 0.40 and 15.87 ± 0.11, 14.95 ± 0.45 (%.day^-1). Results from the effect of local plurispecific fresh water zooplankton and artemia on the survival and growth of larvae of Clarias gariepinus and Heterobranchus longifilis and their hybrids (heteroclarias) indicate local fresh water zooplankton can successfully replace artemia in the first life stage of larvae of these two African catfish species and their hybrids.

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