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A 75-day 2 9 3 factorial experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of two levels of dietary protein (32 and 40%) and two different carbon sources (rice flour-R and molasses-M), and without carbohydrate (control-C) in black tiger shrimp Penaeus monodon juveniles (3.37 AE 0.04 g) at 100 nos. m À3 in 100 L fibre reinforced plastic tanks. Biofloc volume and total suspended solid were higher in molasses added groups (32 + M and 40 + M) followed by rice flour (32 + R and 40 + R) and controls (32C and 40C). Molasses and rice flour addition significantly reduced (P < 0.01) the total ammonia-N compared to controls. The highest Vibrio, Bacillus and Lactobacillus counts were recorded in 40 + M, 32 + M and 32 + R respectively. Among the treatments, significantly higher (P < 0.01) final body weight was recorded in 40 + R (8.5 AE 0.3 g), 40 + M (7.8 AE 0.3 g) and 32 + R (7.5 AE 0.4 g) compared to control groups, 32C (6.1 AE 0.3 g), 40C (6.4 AE 0.3 g) and molasses added group, 32 + M (5.7 AE 0.4 g). Rice flour supplementation significantly increased (P < 0.01) the total haemocyte count (910 6 cells mL À1 ) in 32 + R (45.7 AE 3.7) and 40 + R (44.3 AE 3.1) compared to controls, 32C (27.3 AE 3.4) and 40C (25.8 AE 0.9). Similarly, higher superoxide dismutase, catalase, serum protein and glucose were recorded in the rice flour added groups, 40 + R followed by 32 + R. Among the treatments, the highest level of prophenoloxidase (OD 490 nm, 0.3 AE 0.0) and survival after challenge with Vibrio harveyi (55.6%) was observed in 32 + R. The study elucidates that rice flour addition produces optimum level of biofloc with better growth and immune responses compared to molasses and control. Furthermore, rice flour addition at 32% protein level could replace 40% protein feed.

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A 60-day feeding trial was conducted to determine the growth performance and expression of insulin-like growth factor 1 gene (IGF-I gene) in Labeo rohita fingerlings fed with either raw, soaked or fermented sweet potato leaf meal (SPLM) by completely replacing de-oiled rice bran (DORB), following a completely randomized design. Seven isonitrogenous (30%) and isocaloric (1.8 MJ/100 g) diets were prepared by replacing DORB with 50% and 100% raw, soaked and fermented sweet potato leaf meal, maintaining DORB-containing diets as a control. Weight gain %, SGR (specific growth rate) and PER (protein efficiency ratio) were significantly (p < 0.05) higher when 100% DORB was replaced by fermented SPLM in comparison to other treatment groups. The fermented and soaked SPLM-fed groups had registered with lower FCR value. The expression of growth regulating gene IGF-I mRNA and RNA/DNA ratio was found to be significantly higher (p < 0.05) in soaked and fermented SPLM-fed groups. In this study, the body protein and lipid composition did not vary significantly (p > 0.05). Hence, the study concludes that the fermented sweet potato leaf meal using Chaetomium globosum can replace 100% DORB in the diet of Labeo rohita without any detrimental effect on growth performance.

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