ASSESSMENT OF HEMATOLOGICAL AND GROWTH RESPONSES OF HETEROBRANCHUS LONGIFILIS FINGERLINGS TO PROBIOTIC-SUPPLEMENTED DIETS

Abstract

The study assessed the hematological and growth responses of H. longifilis fingerlings fed diets supplemented with Aquapro, CHC, and their combination at 0.00%, 0.50%, 1.00%, and 1.50% inclusion levels for seven months. A total of 280 fingerlings (mean weight 5.3 ± 0.1 g) were distributed in a completely randomized design with triplicate treatments. Growth and hematological parameters were analyzed using standard methods. Results revealed that probiotic supplementation significantly (p < 0.05) enhanced growth performance and blood profiles compared to the control. Fish fed the combined probiotics at 1.50% inclusion achieved the highest final weight (348.79 ± 4.33 g) and specific growth rate (1.97 ± 0.41%), while the control recorded the lowest values (166.81 ± 2.37 g; 1.50 ± 0.00%). Feed conversion ratio improved from 1.95 in the control to 1.61 in probiotic-fed fish. Similarly, red blood cell count increased from 2.95 × 10⁶ mm⁻³ in the control to 4.01 × 10⁶ mm⁻³ in the combined probiotic group, while hemoglobin concentration rose from 10.17 ± 0.02 g/dL to 13.58 ± 0.20 g/dL. Packed cell volume also improved significantly from 33.00% to 35.80%. It was concluded that probiotic supplementation especially combined Aquapro + CHC diets at 1.0–1.5% significantly improved both hematological indices and growth performance in H. longifilis fingerlings. Such inclusion levels are therefore recommended to enhance productivity and physiological health in intensive aquaculture systems.