Effect of recombinant bovine growth hormone administration on growth and body composition of channel catfish

Abstract

An 8-week experiment was conducted to determine the effects of intraperitoneal administration of different levels of recombinant bovine growth hormone (rbGH) on growth and body composition of fingerling channel catfish. Administration of the rbGH resulted in a significant dose response increase in growth rate and feed consumption when compared to placebo-injected controls. However, unhandled controls grew at the same rate and consumed about the same amount of feed as fish receiving 1.0 μg rbGH/g, suggesting that the stress of the experimental procedure may have had a direct effect on growth rate of the fish. Changes in condition factor showed a similar pattern. Body composition analysis showed the increase in weight gain was due to an increase in fat deposition. This suggests the increase in growth rate of channel catfish following rbGH administration was primarily due to a stimulation of appetite and not due to a stimulation in skeletal growth.