Effect of Omega-3 Fatty Acids (EPA / DHA) and Vitamin E Addition on the Growth Performance and the Larvae Performance of Cyprinus carpio L.

Abstract

This study was conducted in earthen ponds of shrimp hatchery belonging to the Basrah Agricultural Directorate, to find out the effect using of food additives omega-3 and Vitamin E on the performance of the growth and the quality of the produced larvae of the common carp Cyprinus carpio L.. Three treatments were used, the first treatment (T1) represented control without any food additives, the second treatment (T2) contained 5gm.Kg-1 diet of omega-3 fatty acids and the third treatment (T3) contained Vit. E was added at 200 mg.Kg-1 diet. The experiment lasted for 82 days. For each treatment three replicate were used and six common carp brood stock in each replicate. The productive parameters (body weight, weight gain, feed conversion rate, feed efficiency ratio% and specific and relative growth rate%) were measured. Results indicated an improvement in all production parameters and in the feed conversion efficiency of for T2 and T3, compared with the T1. The weight gain (526.39 gm.fish-1), feed conversion rate was 3.61 and feed efficiency ratio was 28.13% for the T2 which showed a significant differences (P<0.05) compared to the control, while T3 did not show significant differences (P>0.05 ) in comparison with both treatments T1 and T2; the specific and relative growth rate for T2 were 0.32%.day-1 and 30.81 %.day-1 respectively showed also a significant differences (P<0.05) compared with the control. These results showed that addition Vit. E to the diet improved the production parameters of common carp larvae better than in omega-3 and control treatments. The study concluded that addition omega-3 fatty acids at a concentration of 5gm Kg -1, and Vit. E at a concentration of 200 mg kg-1 to the diet enhanced the growth rates of common carp and improved larvae production.