Dietary Arginine Requirement of the African Catfish, Clarias gariepinus

ABSTRACT

The dietary arginine requirement of the African catfish, Clarias gariepinus, was determined in a 70-day growth study using diets containing casein and gelatin as sources of intact protein, supplemented with crystalline amino acids, and formulated to a crude protein content of 400 g/kg and gross energy content of 12 kJ/g dry matter. The diets contained graded levels of arginine (40-65 g/kg protein) and were fed to triplicate groups of African catfish (16.6 ± 1.8 g initial weight) twice a day up to satiation. Dietary arginine requirement, estimated using break point analysis, was 45 g/kg of dietary protein. Although no diet-related mortality was observed, African catfish fed diets containing less than 45 g arginine/kg diet (arginine-deficient diets) showed reduced growth responses.

Key Words:

• Arginine
• African catfish
• Clarias gariepinus
• Tryptophan