FEMALE BROODSTOCK SIZE AND MATERNAL EFFECTS ON PROGENY OF Clarias gariepinus (BURCHELL 1822)

Abstract

Catfish farmers have been enduring having to spawn with very big females at high cost avoiding medium and small sizes. The relationship between female broodstock weight and the growth rate of progeny has been a major concern among catfish producers. To examine the impact of different female broodstock sizes on the reaction to growth of the fish seed, induced breeding of the study fish was done. The experiment was designed a completely randomized design (CRD) made of three treatments replicated three times. The treatment were three categories of weight of broodstocks as Treatment I (1000g (Treatment I or Small size), Treatment II (1500g or Medium size) and Treatment III (2500g or Large size). There was no significant fluctuation in the physico-chemical parameters of the water. There was no significant difference in the fry survival among Treatments (P>0.05). The maternal effect on growth of the study fish was 10.5 weeks of culture as Treatment 11 fingerlings then grew fastest. At the end of 40 weeks culture period there was significant difference (P<0.05) in the final weight of the table fish (1231.67 g, 1156.67g, and 1006.67g, for Treatment 11, Treatment 111, and Treatment 1, respectively). Overall, the results of these growth evaluations showed that the selected group had improved growth performance. Medium sized female broodstock can therefore deliver substantial genetic improvements in induced breeding of the study fish.