Assisted reproduction of Clarias gariepinus Burchell, 1822

Abstract

The objective of this work was to set up an experimental protocol concerning artificial reproduction in the catfish Clarias gariepinus with the induction of spawning using GnRH. The experiment was carried out at an aquaculture farm in Khemis Meliana (Ain Defla), Algeria. In the study, five African catfish broodstock (3 females and 2 males) were used. Hormonal injection was made into the back muscle below the fin, and doses of GnRH were determined according to the weight of each individual. Fertilisation was performed artificially using the dry method. After incubating the eggs, a binocular magnifying glass was used to check egg condition and embryonic development over time. The results obtained show that artificial insemination of this species, and survival and growth of larvae, are possible. After injection with GnRH, C. gariepinus females displayed successful ovulation, fertilisation, larval hatching, and larval monitoring. For this species, a latency period of 22 hours was recorded, and approximately 35,700 larvae were obtained. The fertilization rate was 48%. At the end of this experiment, we can conclude that it is possible to improve reproduction through the proper use of hormonal stimulation techniques and by improving the diet and abiotic factors that are dominant in fish farming.