International Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Research

Authors
Md Shamim Reza, SK Ahmad Al Nahid, Tasnuba Hasin, Uachash Barua

Abstract
The effect of Moringa oleifera leaf meal on growth and development of Poecilia sphenops was investigated for a period of 90 days. The experiment was conducted in aquarium with recirculation facilities in the Wet Laboratory of the Faculty of Fisheries, Chattogram Veterinary and Animal Sciences University. M. oleifera leaf meal was substituted for fish meal at 0% (control), 5%, 15 % and 30% in the four different diets. P. sphenops (mean weight 0.979 ±.10 g) were randomly distributed into glass aquarium at 4 fish/aquarium in triplicate treatments and were fed twice daily at 8am to 9 am and 5 pm to 6pm for 13 weeks. The average initial weights in four treatments were 1.01g±0.10, 0.95g±0.04, 1.03±0.05g and 0.93±0.01g in T1, T2, T3, and T4 respectively. At the end of the 90 days experimental period, average final weight of the fishes of four treatments were 1.74g±0.15, 1.75±0.16g, 2.2±0.11g and 2.01±0.21g in treatments T1, T2, T3 and T4 respectively. In case of weight gain higher result was found in T3 (1.17±.16) followed by T4, T2, and T1. The result showed that the fishes provided with ‘Treatment-T3 (1.40±0.69)’ feed have higher growth in terms of length gain when comparing with other treatments. Results on the specific growth rate (% day) of Poecilia sphenops fed on feeds containing different levels of moringa higher result was in T4 followed by T3, T2 and T1. FCR values were also higher in T3 treatment than other treatments. It indicated that moringa leaves used as a plant protein sources support the better growth performance (weight, weight gain, length, length gain, SGR), lower FCR value and as well as disease free molly fishes. The result concluded that moringa (Moringa oleifera) leaf has positive impact on the growth and development of molly fish (Poecilia sphenops) and substitution of fish meal with moringa is feasible without compromising growth and performance of cultured molly.