The Impact of Dietary Minerals on Indian Spiny Loach Growth and Spawning in Captivity
The Impact of Dietary Minerals on Indian Spiny Loach Growth and Spawning in Captivity
Pankaj Gargotra1*, C. Judith Betsy1 and J. Stephen Sampath Kumar2
ABSTRACT
Aquaculture is vital to feed the world’s rapidly growing population. We cannot secure long-term industrial growth unless we diversify our species and production systems. Loaches are an important category of freshwater fish with a global distribution, and studies have shown that loach meat has great nutritional value. There is a scarcity of data on their population structure, breeding behavior, and growth biology. Lepidocephalichthys thermalis, a member of the superfamily Cobitidae and the order Cypriniformes, is a significant alternative species for Indian aquaculture. Aquaculture breeding strategies for loaches must be carefully investigated in order to meet their rising demand. Owe to the aquaculture potential of L. thermalis, the current study was conducted to establish the importance of various minerals (Mn, Se, and Zn) in improving its growth, maturity, and spawning. According to the findings of this study, Se is a crucial mineral impacting the capacity of L. thermalis to develop in captivity. Mn and Zn, on the other hand, may boost the loach’s capacity to develop and reproduce. Dietary additions of Mn, Se, and Zn to the diet of loaches at rates of 10 mg/kg, 0.35 mg/kg, and 10 mg/kg resulted in the best growth performance, whereas dietary additions of Mn, Se, and Zn at rates of 15 mg/kg, 0.35 mg/kg, and 5 mg/kg resulted in the best maturity and breeding performance. To determine statistical significance, all recorded parameters were submitted to the ‘F’ test. The growth and maturation parameters were analyzed in detail using Regression analysis and compared using one-way ANOVA in SPSS- 22.0.
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