COMPARATIVE STUDY OF THE HAEMATOLOGICAL PARAMETERS AND HISTOPATHOLOGY OF CLARIAS GARIEPINUS FED COMMERCIAL CATFISH FEEDS.

A nine weeks study was carried out in the aquaculture experimental site of the Department of Biology in Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, to determine the effect of five commercial feeds on the growth hermatology and histopathology of Clarias gariepinus fingerlings. A total of 100 fingerlings of Clarias gariepinus of mean weight of 0.93g and length 4.45cm were stocked into five treatments labeled A to E respectively, having 4 replicates arranged in a randomized block design. The treatments were given five commercially sourced Clarias gariepinus feeds namely; Ziglar (for treatment A), Bluecrown (Treatment B),Topfeed (Treatment C), Biomer (Treatment D) and Vital (Treatment E). The treatments were fed twice daily at libitum. The final mean weight and length recorded for the treatments were 21.21±2.56g and 13.17±1.24cm, 22.88±2.72g and 15.12±1.29cm, 20.18±2.26g and 14.19±1.24cm, 24.81±2.92g and 15.29±1.34cm, 21.86±2.74g and 14.86±1.31cm respectively. The pack cell volume (PCV) and white blood cell (WBC) were no significant difference P (<0.05) recorded for the treatments from A to E respectively, there readings were: 23±0.45 and 9.15±0.16, 21±0.45 and 8.6 ±0.49, 19±0.45. RBC ranged between 3.3 and 4.3, with Treatment D recording the highest value and Treatment E recording the least. Hemoglobin ranged between 6.8 and 10.5, with Treatment C having the highest value and Treatment D having the least.  The result from the histopathological analysis of the muscle and liver of the fish in all treatments found regular healthy conditions for all the treatments. The crude protein from the body composition of fish samples from the treatments were found to be 52.4±1.39,55.7±3.04,50.8±0.59, 54.9±2.64,50.2±0.29 and were higher than the initial value of 49.63±0.79. The crude protein of treatments A, B, D were significantly different (P<0.05) from that of the initial fish composition.. The body composition analysis recorded ash concentrations 5.2%, 8.6%, 7.5%, 6.3%, and 9.2% for treatments A to E respectively while the initial fish had an ash content of 8.2%. Crude fiber was found to be 4.8% in the initial carcass composition, and 8.7%, 8.2%, 10.6%, 7.5%, and 8.8% for treatments A to E respectively. Crude lipid was found to be 16.25%, 15.9%, 13.6%, 15.8%, and 16.8% for treatments A to E respectively as against the value of crude lipid analyzed in the fish before feeding and found to be 16.42%. It can be concluded from the results of this research that commercial feed for C. gariepinus is potent for optimum growth and good health of the fish, most noted was the great performance from the feed used in Treatments D and B. More researches should be supported to evaluate the effects of feed constitiuents on the internal organs and health of the fish.