Breeding and larval rearing of Asian catfish, Clarias batrachus (Linnaeus, 1758) on live and artificial feed

Abstract

study was conducted to observe the breeding and larval rearing of Asian Catfish, Clarias batrachus fed with live and/or artificial feed for 21 days in an indoor hatchery. The brooders of C. batrachus (Av. wt of female 160 ± 10.5 g; Av. wt of male 120 ± 6.75 g) were procured from outside ponds and stocked in a pond near the experiment site 2-months prior to spawning. The fishes were successfully induced bred using ovaprim @ 1.0–2.0 ml/kg body weight (bw) to females and 0.5–1.0 ml/kg bw to males. Fertilization, hatching and survival percentages at spawn stage were respectively recorded 70.6 - 72.8, 60.7 - 55.3 and 54.3 - 56.2. After yolk-sac absorption, fry of three age groups 7, 14 and 21 days were subjected to feed trial using Artemia nauplii followed by laboratory made feed for 21 days. Weekly sampling indicated that higher age groups constantly maintained higher lengths and weights with highest survival in the age group of 14-days old fry and SGR in 7-days old. The quality of hatchery water was recorded for temperature 29 ± 1°C, pH 7.2 ± 0.2, DO 7.1 ± 0.3 mgL-1 and total alkalinity 132 ± 4.0 mgL-1 respectively.