Growth, survival and proximate body composition of Labeo rohita larvae fed artificial food and natural food organisms under laboratory condition

Abstract

This investigation was carried out to study the effect of different live feed and dry feed on growth and survival of
Labeo rohita at a stocking density of 20 larvae per trough having 10 L of water. The increase in weights and lengths
were used as measures of growth. The duration of the experiment was 30 days. Seven dietary treatments were tested
viz. Artificial diet with 45% protein (LFr1), rotifers like Asplanchna and Brachionus (LFr2), wild zooplankton (LFr3),
bioenriched zooplankton (raised on Chlorella, cod liver oil and vitamin C) (LFr4), Artemia (LFr5), Chironomous (LFr6)
and Oligochaetes (LFr7). Among the different treatments, larvae fed with diet LFr4 resulted in the maximum body
weight gain (BWG) (13.18 ± 0.13 mg) which was significantly (P < 0.05) higher than all the treatments which followed
the order of preference as: LFr5 (12.31 ± 0.10 mg), LFr3 (9.75 ± 0.08 mg), LFr2 (7.85 ± 0.10 mg), LFr7 (6.49 ± 0.15 mg),
LFr6 (5.66 ± 0.13 mg) and LFr1 (4.99 ± 0.14 mg). The diet LFr4 recorded maximum survivability (92.0 ± 2.0%). All the
values recorded for the BWG and survival were found to be significantly different (P < 0.05) among others. Protein
and lipid content of the prawn after the treatment was found to be highest for LFr5 and LFr4, respectively.