GROWTH PERFORMANCE OF Clarias gariepinus FED ON EARTHWORM (Lumbricus terrestris)

A study was carried out to determine the growth performance and nutrient utilization of Clarias gariepinus fingerlings fed with diet containing Earthworm as a replacement for fish meal. Earthworms were collected during the peak of rainy season (July and August) within Lapai environment in Niger State, Nigeria. The earthworms were sun dried, used as test ingredients and with other ingredients to formulate diet used in the feeding trial. The levels of replacements were 0% Diet 1 (T1),  25% Diet 2 (T2), 50% Diet 3 (T3), 75%  Diet 4 (T4) and 100%  Diet 5 (T5). The experiments were conducted in plastic bowls (30 L capacity) under laboratory conditions. The diets were fed at 5% body weight to the fish. The fish were stocked at 10 fish per bowl. Of all the different diet formulations, the diet made up of 50% earthworm meal and 50% fish meal (T3) had the highest mean weight at the end of the experiments, followed by 100% fish meal 0% earthworm (T5). 100% earthworm meal with 0% fish meal (T1) had the lowest mean weight, total length and standard length. The study reveal that supplementing fingerlings diet with 50% earthworm and 50% fishmeal will produce a good diet, and even better than the expensive fish meal.