Culture potentiality of long whiskers catfish, Mystus gulio (Hamilton, 1822) as an alternative climate change adaptation option

Abstract

A 180-day long experiment was carried out to evaluate growth performances of Mystus
gulio in salinity intrusion prone areas of central coast (Noakhali) of Bangladesh, as a coping
measure to climate change adaptation. M. gulio fry (0.50±0.008g) were stocked at the rate of
74130/ha in T1 (mono culture of M. gulio), T2 (M. gulio with Oreochromis niloticus) and T3 (M.
gulio with Heteropneustes fossilis and Anabas testudineus) and fed up to satiation. At the end,
mean final weight (g) of M. gulio (29.50±0.361, 21.20±0.361 and 23.90±0.356), % weight
gain (5795.73±39.296, 4053.11±37.878 and 4681.48±130.042), Specific growth rate (SGR
%/day) were recorded (2.26±0.004, 2.07±0.005 and 2.14±0.012) in T1, T2 and T3 respectively
where T1 showed significantly (p<0.05) better growth performance. Significantly (p<0.05)
better apparent food conversion ratio (AFCR) and apparent protein efficiency ratio (APER) were
recorded in T2 followed by T3 and T1 along with the highest gross production (kg/ha) in T2
(2602.617±86.996) followed by the T3 (2014.45±24.997) and T1 (1586.68±31.696). However,
considering the survival, net profit and benefit cost ratio (BCR), T3 was found to be significantly
(p<0.05) more efficient and profitable. This culture technology may suggest as a way of coping
measure for better utilization of vast salinity intruded areas of coastal Bangladesh.