Protein requirement of angel fish Pterophyllum scalare (Schultze 1823) (Perciformes: Cichlidae)

Abstract

Since time immemorial, fishery, which helps in food security and poverty alleviation, has been one of the oldest professions of man and remained to be so, even today. Further, ornamental fisheries has also provides ample scope for improving economy and employment generation. Today, Fish culturing is a major part of aquaculture. Like in other animals, in fishes too, food determines various physiological, developmental or even reproductive aspects. So, several attempts have been made by various wo1rkers, to alter food and other environmental conditions to determine optimum growth. However, as there are hardly any attempts to analyze suitable protein requirements for having optimum health and development in fish diet, Thus, an attempt has been made to determine the optimum protein requirement for the health growth and development in one of the popular aquarium angel fishes, Pterophyllus scalare by altering protein and lipid contents from 30-40 percent protein and 6-10 percent lipids, in their feed. The parameters such as body weight gain, food conversion ratio (FCR), specific growth rate (SGR), protein efficiency rate (PER), were analyzed. The studies indicate that, the maximum weight gain was at 35 percent Protein +6 percent Lipid (1.99+/-0.04gm), maximum FCR was 1.71+/-0.03 percent) at 40 percent P + 10 percent L; SGR and PER was maximum at 30 percent P + 6 percent L was 2.60+/-0.06 percent and 2.33+/-0.04 percent), suggesting that, food with 30 percent protein and 6 percent Lipid is ideal for angel fish for its optimum growth.