Effect of Mealworm (Ternebrio molitor) Meal in Practical Diets on Growth Performance, Feed Utilization and Carcass Composition of Climbing Perch Fingerlings (Anabas testudineus)

Abstract

The Climbing Perch (Anabas testudineus), a tropical freshwater fish, was chosen as a candidate for commercial inland aquaculture. Two separate 12-week feeding trials were conducted to evaluate the use of mealworm, Tenebrio molitor, as an alternative protein source for A. testudineus. In Experiment 1, fingerlings of A. testudineus 8.6 + 0.1 g were acclimated to laboratory conditions for a period of 2 weeks. Five isonitrogenous (30% crude protein) and isoenergetic (4,000 Kcal/Kg) practical diets were formulated. The fish meal component of the diets was progressively substituted at 0, 12.5, 25, 37.5, and 50% with mealworm meal. The diets were fed to triplicate groups of 20 fish twice a day to apparent satiation. Growth performance and feed utilization efficiency of

A. testudineus fed diets with up to 25% replacement of fish meal with worm meal were not significantly different (P>0.05) in FCR, PER and NPU as 1.51±0.09, 2.22±0.14 and 34.06±1.05% respectively compared to fish fed the control diet. Worm meal in the experimental diets of caused a significant (p<0.05) increase in whole body lipid and decrease in moisture at all levels of worm meal incorporation. Treatment 4 (37.5% worm meal) was the highest in whole body lipid as 9.50±0.82 % and treatment 5 (50% worm meal) was the lowest in moisture as 70.45±1.76 %. In Experiment 2, fingerlings of A. testudineus 15.2+0.12 g were acclimated to laboratory conditions for a period of 2 weeks. The nutritive value of mealworms was compared with a commercial catfish pellet. Five dietary treatments consisting of fish fed catfish pellets only, mealworms (25) /catfish pellet (75) combination, mealworms (50) /catfish pellet (50) combination, mealworms (75) /catfish pellet (25) combination and mealworms only were tested. A. testudineus fed mealworms (50) /catfish pellet (50) combination displayed the best in specific growth rate as 2.61±0.10 than A. testudineus fed catfish pellets only