Evaluation of induced breeding of catfish (Clarias gariepinus), using different doses of normal saline diluted ovaprim

ABSTRACT

With the aim of reducing the cost of ovaprim in induced breeding, the present study was conducted to evaluate the use of diluted ovaprim with normal saline solution at levels of 0% (control), 25%, 50%, 75% and 100% in the induced breeding of Clarias gariepinus. Ten gravid female and ten matured male CG were obtained from the Pilot Aquaculture Centre (weight range of 500 g–1000 g). In all, ten (10) spawning tests were conducted. Females under each treatment were injected around the dorsal fin and after close to 24 hours, each female was stripped of her eggs, total number of eggs A-12982 (40.2 g), B-12659 (39.2 g), C-12336 (38.2 g), D-0 (0 g) and E-0 (0 g). After twenty-four hours of the incubation period, total number of hatched eggs were determined and the unfertilized eggs that turned whitish were determined using the volumetric counting method. The percentage of hatchability of stripped eggs was A-65% (6299), B-62% (6008) and C-69% (6686), with no noteworthy (P > .05) among the three treatments, whereas percentage survival of the fry was 3124 (49.6%), 2644 (44%) and 3610 (54%) for A, B, and C treatments respectively. From the findings of our research, the study recommends the use of treatment C in induced breeding of catfish.

KEYWORDS:

• Clarias gariepinus
• fertilization
• hatchability
• ovaprim
• survival rate

Acknowledgments

Appreciation goes to the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) for supporting this research through the USAID/UCC small undergraduate research grant (2018/2019). University of Cape Coast, Ghana. We would also like to thank the Pilot Aquaculture Centre (PAC) Ghana, for allowing us use their facilities for this study.

Authors’ contribution

Kwabena Anane, Daniel Assan and Akwasi Ampofo-Yeboah (main supervisor) were in charge of the formation and design of the study. Emmanuel D. Abarike helped in the acquisition of data, analysis and interpretation of data. Emmanuel D. Abarike and Elliot H. Alhassan helped in drafting the article and revising it censoriously for significant intellectual content. All authors have approved the final article for publication.

Compliance with ethical standards

This study’s protocols were reviewed and approved by the ethics board of the Animal Care Unit of the University for Development Studies.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.