Nutritive potentials and utilization of garden snail (Limicolaria aurora) meat meal in the diet of Clarias gariepinus fingerlings

Abstract

The possibility of using garden snail (Limicolaria aurora) meat meal as a protein source in fish feeds was tested in Clarias gariepinus fingerlings. Five isonitrogenous (43% crude protein) diets in which garden snail meat meal was used to replace fish meal at 0%, (control diet), 25, 50, 75 and 100% inclusion levels were used for the study. The fish were fed ad-libitum for 8 weeks. Garden snail meat meal used had a crude protein content of 66.76% and ash content of 4.10%, while crude protein and ash content of fishmeal used were 72.46% and 18.22% dry weight, respectively. The lipid content of garden snail meat meal and fishmeal; 7.85% and 7.97%, respectively, was not significantly different (p0.05). The mean weight gain, relative growth and specific growth rates were highest in fish fed 25% garden snail meat meal diet. The best food conversion ratio (1.21) and protein efficiency ratio (3.69) were also recorded in fish fed 25% garden snail meat meal diet. Visceral somatic indices (2.71-17.24%) increased significantly (p0.05) with increase in the garden snail meat meal inclusion in the diets.