IJERD – International Journal of Environmental and Rural Development (2015) 6-2

Research article
erd

Effect of Different Dietary Nutritional Compositions on
Clark's Anemonefish (Amphiprion clarkii) Growth
BOONTARIKA THONGDONPHUM*
Faculty of Agricultural Technology, Rajamangala University of Technology Thanyaburi,
Pathum Thani, Thailand
Email: Boontarika_T@rmutt.ac.th

KITTIMA VANICHKUL
Faculty of Agricultural Technology, Rajamangala University of Technology Thanyaburi,
Pathum Thani, Thailand

SAMING CHAMPASRI
Faculty of Agricultural Technology, Rajamangala University of Technology Thanyaburi,
Pathum Thani, Thailand

SUPHAMAS TIPAYANON
Faculty of Agricultural Technology, Rajamangala University of Technology Thanyaburi,
Pathum Thani, Thailand

SUTHAT WORASIRI
Faculty of Agricultural Technology, Rajamangala University of Technology Thanyaburi,
Pathum Thani, Thailand
Received 12 February 2015

Accepted 1 April 2015(*Corresponding Author)

Abstract Clark's Anemonefish (Amphiprion clarkii) is one of marine ornamental fish. The
nutritional requirements of A. clarkii are important for their growth. This study aimed toassess the effect of different diets on A. clarkii growth performance. The experiments
comprised of three treatments including (1) grinding pacific white shrimp (Litopenaeusvannamei), (2) grinding white perch fish (Lates calcarifer), and (3) grinding surf clam
(Paphia undulata). Growth rate, survival rate, and other growth parameters were studied
within 30 days after starting of the experiments. Results indicated that growth rate of A.
clarkii based on weight and length was highly significant on grinding white perch fishtreatment. Average daily growth was also the best on grinding white perch fish treatment(0.46r0.09 g), followed by ground pacific white shrimp (0.37r0.04 g) and grinding surfclam (0.35r0.03 g), respectively. Survival rate showed significant difference on grinding
surf clam (97.78r3.85%), followed by grinding pacific white shrimp (75.57r8.38%) andgrinding white perch fish (64.44r5.09%), respectively. Food conversion ratio tended to bebetter on grinding white perch fish. This finding indicates that grinding white perch fish
could be used as dietary source of A. clarkii.
Keywords Clark's Anemonefish, marine ornamental fish, nutritional requirement,
nutritional composition

INTRODUCTION
Marine ornamental fish are one of the most popular attractions world-wide due to adaptability tolive in confinement. The tropical ornamental fish has increased trust among aquarists due to theirmultitudinous color and gorgeousness (Ghosh et al., 2011). Thus, marine ornamental aquaculture
has become economically feasible, and much interest has been generated for inland (Watson andHill, 2006). Feed composition and water management in containing tank are important. DietaryⒸ ISERD

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IJERD – International Journal of Environmental and Rural Development (2015) 6-2

sources are important to fish growth (Koedprang ,2006), especially fish are rare in high density
indoor systems or confined in cage and cannot forage freely on natural feeds. They must provide
complete diet (Craig and Helfrich, 2009). The protein requirements of fish seem to be higher thanterrestrial animals (Lovell, 1988). The commercial fish feed was designed to complete nutritional
intake for the marine ornamental fish growth, which has an impact to the high price. The enriched
live feed, the rotifers and artemia had to prepare by using microalgae for feeding the fish (Madhu et.
al., 2013). Artemia could be a good alternative live feed to be used in the hatchery of ornamental
fish but lack of the facilitated supplies (Lim et. al., 2003). Limited supply and high cost of fishmeal have forced fish nutritionists to search for alternative protein sources (Silva et al., 2010). The
application of live feeds in marine ornamental fish culture has been hampered by the lack live feed
information for feeding the fish. Live feeds of nutritional composition were the alternative dietswith comparable nutritional quality that needed to maintain the cost competitiveness of marine
ornamental fish and remained healthy in suitable diet, which could be contributed to enhancing
growth of Clark's Anemonefish culture.
OBJECTIVE
This study aimed to assess the growth rate, survival rate, and other growth parameters of Clark's
Anemonefish fed by three different nutritional compositions.
METHODOLOGY
Fish source
Two hundred and seventy larvae of Clark's Anemonefish (Amphiprion clarkii) were obtained fromthe ornamental fish culture at Krabi Coastal Fisheries Research and Development Center, Krabi
province and transported to the hatchery at Division of Fisheries, Rajamangala University ofTechnology Thanyaburi, Pathum Thani province. The total of A.clarkii all between 1.5-3 cm inlength was acclimatized in a conditioning tank for three days by using natural seawater withsalinity maintained at 30 psu after passing through a sandy filter. Then, fish were distributed intonine 100-liter tanks (100 L capacity; 30 individuals per tank). The experiments were assigned for
30 days study period.
Experimental design
The experiments followed a completely randomized design (CRD) comprising three feed
treatments of grinding pacific white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) (T1), grinding white perch fish(Lates calcarifer) (T2), and grinding surf clam (Paphia undulata) (T3). The larvae were fed on thethree different diets twice a day, 08:30 and 16:00 h, at a rate of 34% of their body weight per day.
After one hour of each feeding, uneaten diet and fecal matter were siphoned out of the tanks.
The proximate nutritional compositions (protein, lipid, fiber, ash, moisture, and dry matter) in
the experimental diets were analyzed according to Association of Analytical Chemists (AOAC,2000). The number of dead fish was recorded during the experiments. Length and weight data wererecorded at the 30th day after the start of the experiment to determine the growth performance.
Average daily growth (ADG) as in Eq. (1) , survival rate (SR) as in Eq. (2), and food conversion
ratio (FCR) as in Eq. (3) were calculated using the equations,
ADG = (We-Ws)/t(1)where We was the weight at the end of the experiment, Ws was the weight at the start of theexperiment, and t was the number of days.
SR = ((Ne-Ns)/Ns) x 100(2)Ⓒ ISERD

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IJERD – International Journal of Environmental and Rural Development (2015) 6-2

where Ne was the number of fish alive at the end of the experiment, and Ns was the number of fish
alive at the start of the experiment.
FCR = Wf/Wt(3)where Wf was the feed intake, and Wt was the total weight of fish at the end of the experiment.
The general water quality factors, namely temperature, salinity, and pH were measured with amulti-parameter probe (YSI-6600 Sonde instrument, USA).
Data analysis
Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to consider the growth factors for each treatment. The
significance between the means was compared by using Duncan's new multiple range test (DMRT)
at a probability level of 0.05 (p<0.05).
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Average weight of A. clarkii at the end of the experiment (We) was significantly affected bydifferent types of diets (p<0.05), the highest average weight was on grinding white perch fish
treatment (0.46r0.09 g), followed by ground pacific white shrimp (0.37r0.04 g), and grinding surf
clam (0.35r0.03 g), respectively. The final length of fish varied between 2.49r0.13 cm, as found in
T3 to 2.86r0.15 cm, as found in T2 (p<0.05). The results indicated that growth rate of A. clarkii, interms of weight and length,were better in grinding white perch fish treatment (T2) (Table 2).
According to Chambel et al. (2015), it was reported that Percula Clownfish (Amphiprion percula)averaging 1.92r0.01 cm size was treated by using commercial marine fish diets with different
crude protein levels, 52.5, 48, 41, and 38%. Results showed the final length of A. percula varied
between 2.865r0.066 to 3.108r0.066 cm.
Different types of diets also significantly affected on average daily weight (ADG) and survival
rate (p<0.05), the highest ADG were recorded on grinding white perch fish (0.008r0.001 g/day),and the lowest one in those fed on grinding surf clam (0.004r0.000 g/day). Survival rate (SR)values showed the highest significant in T3 (97.78r3.85%). No statistically significant difference
was found on food conversion ratio (FCR) fed on different diets. However, T2 tended to reveal thehighest value (10.92r2.47) as shown in Table 2. This study indicated that the diets effected to A.
clarkii growth performance.
Water quality during culture period showed that water temperature, pH, and salinity varied
from 21.0-26.0 oC, and 7.0-8.0, and 30-32 psu, respectively. Those parameters had no significant
difference by different diets (p>0.05). In this study, the water quality factors were similar to results
obtained by Chambel et al., (2015) in the A. percula culture.
Table 1 Growth parameters (meanrSD) of Clark's Anemonefish fed on the three diettreatments
Parameters
Ws (g)We (g)Ls (cm)Le (cm)ADG (g/day)
SR (%)FCR

Diets
Treatment 1
0.19r0.06a
0.37r0.04b
1.94r0.25a
2.69r0.13b
0.005r0.000b
75.57r8.38b
12.55r4.36a

Treatment 2
0.19r0.05a
0.46r0.09a
1.93r0.16a
2.86r0.15a
0.008r0.001a
64.44r5.09b
10.92r2.47a

Treatment 3
0.20r0.06a
0.35r0.03b
1.98r0.21a
2.49r0.13c
0.004r0.000b
97.78r3.85a
14.80r3.85a

Weight at the start (Ws) and the end (We) of the experiment, length at the start (Ls) and the end (Le) of the experiment,
average daily growth (ADG), survival rate (SR), and food conversion ratio (FR). The values in each row followed by thesame letter are not significantly different (p<0.05).
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Growth performance of fish could be assessed from protein requirement depended on thedietary feed intake of fish. The nutritional composition of the three diets is shown in Table 2.
Protein and lipid composition showed high level in T2 (19.81% and 0.03%) followed by T1, andT3, respectively (Table 2). The optimal protein level in dietary feed played the key role to produce
maximum weight gain in the least time (Martínez et al., 2004). Chuapoehuk (1999) reported thatthe kinds of aquatic animal that had the high level of protein and energy were fish (20.4% and 111
calories/100g), shrimp (19.7% and 94 calories/100 g) and clam (12.3% and 63 calories/100 g),
respectively. The optimal protein level in the diet of fish raised in captivity and most fish farmers
used complete diets containing required protein 18-50% (Craig and Helfrich, 2009). In addition,
Chambel et al. (2015) indicated that the compound diet of 40% protein would provide nutrients thatwould ensure optimal growth of A. percula.
Table 2 Composition of the feeds (%) in each treatment
Parameters
Protein
Lipid
Fiber
AshMoisture
Dry matter

Diets
Treatment 2
19.81
0.03
0.08
1.11
79.54
20.46

Treatment 1
18.31
0.01
0.04
1.09
77.35
22.65

Treatment 3
14.25
0.02
0.12
1.32
79.91
20.09

CONCLUSION
This study indicated that grinding white perch fish had significant effect on Clark's Anemonefish
growth in terms of weight, length, and average daily growth. Based on this study, grinding white
perch fish had the optimal protein levels for growth performance and could be included in diet for
Clark's Anemonefish culture.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The authors would like to express deep gratitude to all the staff members of the Division ofFisheries, Faculty of Agricultural Technology, Rajamangala University of Technology Thanyaburi,
for all supports and assistance.
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Chambel, J., Severiano, V., Baptista, T., Mendes, S. and Pedrosa, R. 2015. Effect of stocking density anddifferent diets on growth of Percula Clownfish, Amphiprion percula (Lacepede, 1802). Springer Plus,4(183), 1-7.
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