This experiment was carried out to evaluate the effects of the probiotic, Lactobacillus acidophilus, on the growth performance, haematology parameters and immunoglobulin concentration in African cat¢sh Clarias gariepinus ¢ngerling. Two experimental diets were formulated to contain 35 g kg À 1 crude protein and 10 g kg À 1 lipids accordingly and fed three times daily for 12 weeks to 25 C. gariepinus ¢ngerlings per ¢breglass tank in 12 replicates each. The control diet was prepared with no probiotic supplementation whereas the second diet was prepared supplemented with a probiotic, L. acidophilus, containing about 3.01 Â 10 7 colonies/g of diet. The results show that growth performance [speci¢c growth rate (SGR) and relative growth rate (RGR)], nutrient utilization [protein e⁄ciency ratio (PER) and feed conversion ratio (FCR)] and survival were signi¢cantly (Po0.05) higher in ¢sh maintained on the probiotic-supplemented diet compared with those on the control diet. Haematology parameters (packed cell volume, haemoglobin, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, red blood cell and white blood cell, total serum protein, Ca 21 , Mg 21 , Cl À , glucose and cholesterol) and total immunoglobulin concentrations were also signi¢cantly better in ¢sh fed the probiotic-supplemented diet than in the control. Although the water quality parameters monitored were better in the ¢sh fed the probiotic-supplemented diet than in the control, the parameters were not signi¢cantly di¡erent (P40.05). From the results of this experiment, we conclude that L. acidophilus can be used as a probiotic agent in African cat¢sh culture, to enhance ¢sh health, survival and better feed e⁄ciency and growth performance.Two practical diets were formulated to contain 35 g kg À 1 crude protein each, using soybean and ¢sh Aquaculture Research, 2009, 40, 1642^1652 E¡ects of L. acidophilus in African Cat¢sh ¢ngerling on growth M A Al-Dohail et al.r

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Triplicate groups of Mystus nemurus (Cuvier & Valenciennes) were fed isoenergetic semipuri®ed diets containing seven dietary protein levels from 200 to 500 g kg ±1 diet for 10 weeks. Dietary protein was supplied by graded amounts of a protein mixture (tuna muscle meal:casein:gelatine) at a ®xed ratio of 50:37.5:12.5. Mystus nemurus ®ngerlings of initial weight 7.6 0.2 g were fed close to apparent satiation at 2.5% of their body weight per day in two equal feedings. Growth performance and feed utilization eciency increased linearly with dietary protein level from 202 to 410 g kg ±1 diet and declined with protein levels of 471 g kg ±1 diet or above. Protein eciency ratio and apparent net protein utilization started to decline when the ®sh were fed with dietary protein levels exceeding 471 g kg ±1 diet. Fish fed with lower protein diets (202± 295 g kg ±1 diet) had signi®cantly (P < 0.05) higher carcass lipid content compared with ®sh fed with higher protein diets. Carcass lipid contents were inversely related to moisture content. Dietary protein did not signi®cantly aect ®sh carcass protein and ash content. Using two-slope broken-line analysis, the dietary protein requirement for M. nemurus based on percentage weight gain was estimated to be 440 g kg ±1 diet with a protein to energy ratio of 20 mg protein kJ ±1 gross energy. This level of protein in the diet is recommended for maximum growth of M. nemurus ®ngerlings weighing between 7 and 18 g under the experimental conditions used in this study. KEY WORDS

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