Effect of monocultures and polyculture systems different stocking density on fatty acids profile of Nile tilapia Oreochromis niloticus and African catfish Clarias gariepinus fingerlings reared in concrete ponds

This study examined the effect of monocultures and polycultures system different stocking density on fatty acids profile of Nile tilapia Oreochromis niloticus and African catfish Clarias gariepinus (15.05±0.14 and 25.05±0.14 g body weight) randomly stocked in indoor tanks and reared over 16 weeks in seven treatments (1 Tilapia O. niloticus: 0 Catfish C. gariepinus, 0 Tilapia O. niloticus: 1 Catfish C. gariepinus, 1 Tilapia: 1 Catfish, 2 Tilapia: 1 Catfish, 3 Tilapia: 1 Catfish, 1 Tilapia: 2 Catfish and 1 Tilapia: 3 Catfish) of four stocking density (SD) 12, 24, 36 and 48 fish/m-3 set up in triplicates. Data analysis using SPSS, One way ANOVA; The results showed Twenty-seven fatty acids in Nile tilapia O. niloticus and twenty-eight fatty acids in catfish C. garpenus. The results showed that the fatty acids profile ranged from C6:0 to C24:1 and the highest number 23 and 24 of fatty acids in 1 Tilapia: 3 Catfish and SD/48fish respectively. The polyculture body proximate composition was significantly high (p<0.05) C16:0 and C18:1n-9; and total saturated fatty acids (SFA), monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) levels at 1 Tilapia O. niloticus: 0 Catfish C. gariepinus and 1 Tilapia: 2 Catfish and; 1 Tilapia O. niloticus: 0 Catfish C. gariepinus, 2 Tilapia: 1 Catfish and 0 Tilapia O. niloticus: 1 Catfish C. gariepinus. in contrast to body proximate composition, increasing stocking density resulted in significantly higher (p<0.01) total Monounsaturated fatty acid and Polyunsaturated fatty acid levels at SD36 and SD48fish/m-3 density, respectively. Results suggest that (O. niloticus and catfish C. gariepinus) can be reared in indoor tanks at a stocking density of 36-48 fish/m-3 and polyculture (1 Tilapia: 2 Catfish and 1 Tilapia: 3 Catfish) to achieve acceptable growth performance and better quality.