Akinwumi Felix  Olusegun, Abiodun  Eniade, 
    Growth Performance of African Mud Catfish, <I>Clarias gariepinus</I> (Siluriformes: Clariidae) Fed Tropical Banana Blossom, <I>Musa sapietum</I> (Zingiberales: Musaceae) Inclusion,
    Journal of Aquaculture Feed Science and Nutrition,
    Volume 6,Issue 2,
    2014,
    Pages 32-38,
    ISSN 2070-1667,
    joafsnu.2014.32.38,
    (https://makhillpublications.co/view-article.php?doi=joafsnu.2014.32.38)
    Abstract: One of the contemporary problems faced in aquaculture is the 
  provision of adequate nutritive and cheap feed to reduce the cost of fish production. 
  In this study, the efficacy of <I>Musa sapietum</I> Inflorescence (MSI) as an 
  ingredient in the diet of the juveniles of African mud catfish, <I>Clarias gariepinus</I> 
  was evaluated over a 90 days growth period. About 3 experimental diets were 
  formulated at 0 (control), 10 and 15% inclusion levels of MSI. The nutrient 
  composition of MSI, growth performance and survival rate of the juvenile fish, 
  feed intake and water quality parameters were determined using standard procedures. 
  The results showed that MSI had a moisture content of 94.90% in the DM fat represented 
  2.08% and crude protein 1.85 %. MSI was a good source of potassium (24755 ppm 
  of DM), calcium (9804 ppm in DM), sodium (8824 ppm in DM) and magnesium (3529 
  ppm in DM) but low in phosphorous (106 ppm in DM). There were no statistical 
  differences found (p&gt;0.05) in the specific growth rate, feed conversion and 
  protein efficiency ratio of the juvenile fish fed with the banana blossom inclusions 
  in comparison to the control. The 15% flower meal inclusion resulted in the 
  highest fish survival rate (70%) compared to 63.3% (10% inclusion) and 60% (control). 
  There were no significant differences (p&gt;0.05) in the feed intake by the 
  fish raised with 10 and 15% inclusions of MSI (34 and 33%, respectively) in 
  comparison to the control that yielded 33%. There were no significant differences 
  in the mean water pollution rates by nitrite accumulation (0.000, 0.275 and 
  0.042 mg dL<SUP>-1</SUP> in 15, 10 and 0% inclusions, respectively) and total 
  dissolved solids (32, 35 and 33% in 15, 10 and 0% inclusions, respectively). 
  The results obtained in this study indicated that <I>M. sapietum</I> flowers 
  which are locally available in the rural areas and inexpensive have the potential 
  to partially replace the expensive animal protein required in feed formulation 
  and thus reduce cost in fish farming.
    Keywords: feed;fish;Clarias gariepinus;banana;Aquaculture;Musa sapietum