Comparative study on African catfish (Burchell, 1822) hypophysation using ovaprim and chicken pituitary gland extract

Comparative study on African catfish hypophysation indices using ovaprim and chicken pituitary gland extract (CPGE) was carried out. Sixteen (16) African catfish brood stocks between 1100 and 2300 g in ratio 2:1 and four (4) numbers of layer birds (Gallus gallus domesticus) between 1200 and 2200 g in ratio 1:3 were used respectively. The experiment was batched into “A” and “B”. Batch ‘A’ was placed on ovaprim while batch ‘B’ was placed on CPGE. An indoor hatchery vat, measuring 0.6096 m x 1.8288 m x 0.3048 m each was used for the incubation. Digital measuring kits were used to monitor water quality parameters and measurement of the brood stocks weights independently. Brood stocks on ovaprim and CPGE treatments had the following mean hypophysation indices in these order: fecundity (11100±7690 and 17760±13863), latency period (9.53±0.54 and 9.77±0.49), fertilization percentage (94.03±5.90% and 90.6±10.11%), hatchability percentage (75.6±0.81% and79.35±10.27%), number of eggs produced (5889±657.37 and 9403.33±589.80), total number of larvae hatched (4717.33±1111.0 and 7111.33±506.64), SGR (0.67±0.31 and 1.1±0.31), and survival rate (64.81±0.71 and66.24±2.19) respectively. There was no significant difference (p = 0.05) in the mean values of fecundity, latency period, fertilization and hatchability percentages in both treatments but there was significant difference (p ≤ 0.05) in number of eggs produced and total number of larvae hatched in both treatments. The water quality parameters were within the range for induced breeding techniques and there was no significant difference (p= 0.05) in both experiments. Both ovaprim and CPGE had excellent results from the induced breeding of Clarias gariepinus and yielded good results. Therefore, CPGE could be recommended from the view point of excellent results and its availability from chicken slaughter houses as against ovaprim which are imported.