Performance Evaluation of African catfish (Clarias gariepinus) Fed Diets with Varying Dietary Inclusion Levels of Christmas Melon (Laganaria breviflorus) as a Partial Replacement for Wheat Offal

This study evaluates the effects of Christmas melon (Laganaria breviflorus)-based diets on the growth and hematology of African catfish (Clarias gariepinus) after a 6 (six)-month feeding trial. A total of 240 C. gariepinus juveniles with an average weight of 10.68 g were procured from the Fisheries and Aquaculture Department Hatchery Unit for the feeding trial. After acclimating for a week (7 days) using 2.00 mm Coppens feed (45% CP) twice per day, the fish samples were randomly distributed into 12 tarpaulin tanks of 4 ft × 4 ft × 4 ft with a 200 L water holding capacity (four (4) different treatments presented in triplicate). Twenty (20) fish per tank were fed twice daily with the compounded feed with varying dietary inclusion levels of Christmas melon (0% (control), 5%, 10% and 15%). The weights and lengths of the sampled fish were measured biweekly to determine the growth performance, while hematological parameters, such as the packed cell volume, erythrocytes, hemoglobin, and leucocytes were determined midway through and at end of the feeding trial. The data collected were analyzed using ANOVA, and the results revealed the optimum growth and nutrient utilization and hematological and serum biochemical parameters of C. gariepinus in T3. The length–weight relationship results revealed that the fish exhibited an isometric growth pattern with B-values above 3 across the treatments. In conclusion, the results obtained in this study revealed that Christmas melon (L. breviflorus) could replace wheat offal by up to 10% in the diet of C. gariepinus without negative effects on the obtained optimal growth performance, hematological parameters, or serum biochemistry.