Gain in weight in tadpoles of bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana Shaw, 1802) fed on a ration with differents binding agents

Abstract

At the laboratory of frog culture of the Instituto de Pesca, in "Fernando Costa" Park, in São Paulo, São Paulo State, Brazil, two experiments were carried out, one from Oct. 19, 1983 through Nov. 22, 1983, and the other from Nov. 29, 1983 through Jan. 9, 1984, to verify the effect of a ration with different binding agents upon the gain in weight in tadpoles of bullfrog. The experimental design was that of a total randomized experiment with four treatments and three repetitions. In the first experiment the treatments were: alginate (Xantalgin^R), agar-agar, manioc flour, and arabic gum. In the second, the treatments were: alginate (Xantalgin^R), agar agar, concentrated oil (Campestre^R) and no binding agent. The analyses of variance revealed that in the first experiment the gain in weight was more favorable in the arabic gum treatment and in the manioc flour treatment (P<0.01); in the second experiment, the most favorable gain in weight was observed in the agar-agar treatment and concentrated oil treatment (Campestre^K); these two last ones did not differ from each other, nor did from the treatment in which no binders were used at five probability leveI. The difference between the ration without binder and the ration with alginate (Xantalgin^R) was significant (P<0.05).