Effects of Starvation and Re-Feeding on Growth Performance and Blood Glucose Level in The Broadhead Catfish (Clarias macrocephalus)

Abstract

A study on effects of starvation and re-feeding on growth performance and blood glucose level in the broadhead catfish were conducted using the broadhead catfish average weight 40 g. The experiments were divided into 2 groups i.e. control group (fed in the 1-8 th week), and starved (in the 1-4 th week), then re-fed (in the 5-8 th week) group. The results revealed that percentage weight gain (PWG), hepatosomatic index (HSI), and blood glucose level were decreased according to starved duration (P<0.05). Next, effects of re-feeding, the results showed that average daily weight gain (ADG), PWG, and HIS were increased in the 5-8 th week (P<0.05). Compensation coefficient (CC) was increased in the 7th week (P<0.05). Blood glucose level was increased in the 5-6 th week (P<0.05). In addition, PWG and blood glucose level were lower in the 1-4 th week in the starved compared to the control group (P<0.05). Likewise, HSI was lower in the 2-4 th week in the starved compared to the control group (P<0.05). In the final part of re-feeding has shown that ADG and PWG were lower in the 5-8 th week in the re-fed group compared to the control group (P<0.05), whereas blood glucose level was not significantly different (P>0.05). Overall, these results indicate during the starvation for 4 weeks, the survival rate was 100%, the growth rate was decreased. However, after re-fed, the compensation coefficient was 34.52% in the 7th week. Therefore, after starvation, when the fish are re-fed, the growth rate was found to be higher than the control in the broadhead catfish.