The effects of spatially localized and spatially dispersed feeding patterns on the growth, size distribution and feed conversion ratio of the African catfish were investigated. Two groups of fish with an initial weight of 82.16 ± 4.80 and 82.40 ± 3.90 g were subjected to point source and scatter feeding patterns, respectively, for 2 months. Scatter fed fish reached a final mean weight of 192.69 ± 6.60 g while the mean final weight of point source fed fish was 169.67 ± 6.80 g ( P < 0.05). The specific growth rates of scatter and point source fed fish were 1.51% day-1 and 1.29% day-1, respectively. The feed conversion ratio of scatter fed fish was 1.86 and that of point source fed fish was 2.29. The difference between the coefficient of size variation for scatter and point source fed fish was statistically insignificant (P > 0.05). However, the final size distribution curve for the scatter fed group showed a more symmetrical pattern with the bulk of the fish clustering about the mean.

The effects of spatially localized and spatially dispersed feeding patterns on the growth, size distribution and feed conversion ratio of the African catfish were investigated. Two groups of fish with an initial weight of 82.16 ± 4.80 and 82.40 ± 3.90 g were subjected to point source and scatter feeding patterns, respectively, for 2 months. Scatter fed fish reached a final mean weight of 192.69 ± 6.60 g while the mean final weight of point source fed fish was 169.67 ± 6.80 g ( P < 0.05). The specific growth rates of scatter and point source fed fish were 1.51% day-1 and 1.29% day-1, respectively. The feed conversion ratio of scatter fed fish was 1.86 and that of point source fed fish was 2.29. The difference between the coefficient of size variation for scatter and point source fed fish was statistically insignificant (P > 0.05). However, the final size distribution curve for the scatter fed group showed a more symmetrical pattern with the bulk of the fish clustering about the mean.