Comparative studies on nutritive value of wild and farmed African catfish Clarias gariepinus

The fillet percentage yield, chemical composition and mineral elements of wild and farmed African catfish Clarias gariepinus are presented. Farmed males yielded 42.73± 4.42% fillets compared to 49.86± 1.95% for wild males, 51.11± 2.59% for wild females and 46.86±2.45% for farmed females. Studies of proximate chemical composition were examined as parameters of fish flesh quality. The fillets of farmed and wild were significantly different (p0.05). Levels of the macro elements (mg/l), phosphorus, potassium, manganese, sodium and calcium, and micro elements (mg/l), iron and zinc were no significantly different in farmed and wild, Ca (4.02± 0.47 and 4.32±0.59); P (2.87± 0.42 and 2.80±0.45); Mg (2.65± 0.36 and 2.56±0.38); Na (4.32± 0.35 and 4.34±0.32); K (3.76± 0.41 and 4.07±0.25); Fe (1.72± 0.03 and 1.09±0.49) and Zn (0.096± 0.01 and 0.097±0.01).