Journal of Fisheries and Life Sciences

Author(s): Venkatramalingam K and Saravanan N

Abstract: Probiotics are functional ingredients and their incorporation in aqua feeds was considered a possible strategy to enhance the growth of fish. Spirulina acts as a growth promoter, probiotic food booster of the immune system in animals including fishes. Spirulina is truly an amazing food full of nutritional wonders. Spirulina species are most commonly used in nutritional supplements. It is cheaper feed ingredient than other animal origin. A 60 days experiment was done with a view to analyze the effects of probiotic Spirulina diets on the growth of Catla catla fingerlings. Results proved that the Spirulina feeds elicited the beneficial effect and it can increase the survivability of fish and accelerates the growth of C. catla fingerlings. Fish fed with Spirulina fusiformis (5%) had maximum feed consumption (20.31g). The maximum feeding rate of 366.58 mg was determined in fish consuming 5% spirulina. The maximum weight of 6.22g was noted in SF5 feed (5%). However the minimum increase in bodyweight was 2.60 and 3.98g in control and 1% inclusion of spirulina feed. The highest enhancement in length (4.53cm) was observed in fishes fed with SF5. In the present study spirulina found to have a potential effect on SGR, it is higher (0.68 %) in SF5 spirulina diet. Food conversion ratio (FCR) was observed from 3.07 to 3.93 in fishes fed with the diet containing spirulina. The present study showed a linear relationship existed between dietary supplementation of S. fusiformis level and FCR