Effect of Papaya Seed Inclusion on Growth and Carcass Quality of African Catfish (Clarias Gariepinus) Fed Maggot Meal

Sixty (60) catfish juveniles of ten weeks old were used for the study with the objective of determining the effect of papaya seed inclusion on growth and carcass quality of African catfish fed Maggot Meal (MGM). House fly maggots were collected fresh, washed, sundried, then crushed to obtain the MGM. Papaya seed were also obtained from papaya fruits purchased from the open market. The seeds were washed, sundried and crushed to obtain the Papaya Seed Meal (PSM). The fish were randomly assigned to four dietary treatments identified as T0, T1, T2, and T3. T0 was a pure popular foreign feed known as AllerAquaR which was not treated with any maggot meal or papaya meal. Its purpose (AllerAquaR ) was only to compare the performance of the locally compounded maggot meal based feeds with the popular foreign feed. Diets T1, T2, and T3 contained MGM at 30% inclusion level at the expense of fish meal. In addition to MGM, Papaya Seed Meal (PSM) was also included as additives to the three diets (T1,T2 and T3) at 0%, 1%, and 2% inclusion levels respectively. Fish were fed at 5% body weight daily for 12 weeks. Water was changed after every three days. Data was obtained for Weekly Feed Intake, Weekly Weight Gain, Final Body Weight and Feed Efficiency. Analysis of data reveal no discrepancies (P>0.05) in Weight gain and feed intake among the three maggot meal based diets. The results of carcass analysis also reveal no discrepancies (P>0.05) in the moisture content, crude protein, crude fat, crude fibre and ash contents of fish fed papaya seed treated maggot meal. Hence, the incorporation of papaya seed in maggot meal based diets has no adverse effect on growth performance and carcass quality of fish.