Changes in the haematological parameters of juvenile Clarias gariepinus (Burchell, 1822) fed different dietary levels of raw and boiled jack bean (Canavalia ensiformis (L) SD.C.) seed meal

Abstract

The study evaluated the effect of feeding diets which had the fishmeal sequentially replaced by raw and boiled jackbean seedmeal (JBSM) on some haematological parameters of Clarias gariepinus. Thirteen isonitrogenous (CP30) and isocaloric (ME 2900 kcal/kg) diets were formulated by substituting fishmeal in the standard diets with raw and 60 min boiled JBSM at 10, 20%, 40%, 60%, 80% and 100%. The test diets were assigned randomly using CRD to duplicate groups of 20 fish of average total length 18cm in 20 litre plastic aquaria in static water. The fish were fed once daily for 56 days at 3% body weight and water replaced every 3 days. Blood samples were collected from fish tranquilized with MS222 at the commencement of feeding and subsequently bi-weekly for determinatioin of haematocrit (PCV), red blood cell (RBC) count, white blood cell (WBC) count, haemoglobin (Hb) concentration and differential leucocyte count. Analysis of the results obtained showed that the PCV, RBC count, WBC count, Hb concentration and lymphocytes decreased significantly (p<0.05) with increasing dietary level of JBSM. Though boiling JBSM, significantly (p<0.05) improved the haematological values of the fish fed such diets when compared to those fed raw JBSM, the values were significantly lower than those fed the control diet. The depression in the haematological values observed in fish fed JBSM containing diets however remained within the range reported for Clarias gariepinus.

KEY WORDS: Clarias gariepinus, feed, fishmeal, Jackbean seed meal, haematology

Nigerian Veterinary Journal Vol.24(2) 2003: 19-26