Abstract
Induced spawning of African giant catfish (Heterobranchus bidorsalis) was successfully carried out using synthetic hormone (Ovaprim) and natural hormone (homoplastic hormone-pituitary extract from H. bidorsalis). The study which was carried out at Aquafish Farm, Ihiala, Anambra State, Nigeria, lasted 70 days (May to July). Sixty gravid females and twenty mature males of H. bidorsalis (weight range of 310 to 550 g) were used for the study. In all, 10 trials were carried out with a control. The results showed that ovaprim performed significantly better (P < 0.01) in almost all the parameters investigated. The two hormonal materials gave slightly different results in terms of pre and post hormonal induced spawning mean somatic weight loss of 423.83 ± 14.19 g and 446.00 ± 13.37 g, mean number of dead eggs of 396.10 ± 19.15 and 194.90 ± 11.00, hatchability of 9,180.13 ± 343.37 and 11,162.27 ± 362.00 hatched larvae, 35.80 ± 1.11 and 12.37 ± 1.54 deformed larvae, and 99.61 and 99.88% survival were recorded respectively for homoplastic hormone and ovaprim, respectively. Comparative cost benefit analysis showed that ovaprim which recorded better results, was also relatively cheaper. Ovaprim worth N3467.00 was used for induced breeding of H. bidorsalis with combined body weight of 13.38 kg while pituitary hormone was extracted from N 6350.00 worth of H. bidorsalis and used for induced breeding of gravid H. bidorsalis with combined body weight of 12.72 kg. Because of its relatively cheap cost, ease of handling and better survival of hatchlings from H. bidorsalis, ovaprim is highly recommended for hatchery users.
Highlights
The high demand for fish fingerlings in the phenomenal growing aquaculture industry has stimulated the need for artificial propagation of cultural warm water fishes
The pre-spawning weights were 423.83 ± 14.19 g for spawners injected with homoplastic hormone and 446.00 ± 13.37 g for gravid H. bidorsalis injected with ovaprim
All gravid H. bidorsalis recorded no significant loss in weight after spawning
Summary
The high demand for fish fingerlings in the phenomenal growing aquaculture industry has stimulated the need for artificial propagation of cultural warm water fishes. Statistics of global fish production shows that fish farming represents about 15% of the global fish yields and was expected to exceed 20% by the year 2000. FAO (1995) noted that inland capture fisheries yields had continuously increased from 6.5 million tons recorded in 1984 up to 1989. Since 1990, catches appeared to have stabilized or even declined slightly. Considering both inland and marine capture fisheries, in 1989 world fish production reached 100.3 million tons.
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