GROWTH AND SURVIVAL OF FRY OF AFRICAN CATFISH SPECIES, CLARIAS-GARIEPINUS BURCHELL, HETEROBRANCHUS-BIDORSALIS GEOFFERY AND HETEROCLARIAS REARED ON MOINA-DUBIA IN COMPARISON WITH OTHER 1ST FEED SOURCES

Laboratory-cultured Moina dubia, mixed zooplankton (harvested from earthen pond), Artemia nauplii and a commercial dry diet (54.2% crude protein) were tested as first feed for the fry of selected African catfish species. A concentrate volume of the live food sources were fed daily while the commercial diet was fed ad libitum. The catfish species used were Heterobranchus bidorsalis, Clarias gariepinus and ''Heteroclarias'' (hybrid of H. bidorsalis male and C gariepinus female). After a 7-day fry nursing period, better growth and survival rates were observed for fry fed cultured M. dubia than for fry fed the other three diets. Significantly higher weight gain was observed in the groups fed cultured M. dubia. Percent mortality was similar for fry fed the live food diets and somewhat higher for those fed the commercial diet.