Hatchery Breeding of Catfish, <i>Heteropneustes fossilis</i> (Bloch) in Nepal

Abstract

Singhi, Heteropneustes fossilis (Bloch) was spawned using artificial and semi-artificial breeding methods. Artificial method involved hormonal inducement, stripping of eggs from females and fertilizing them with milt from sacrificed males. Semi-artificial method involved hormonal inducement only. Carp Pituitary Extract (CPE), Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (HCG) and Gonadotropin Releasing Hormone analog (GnRHa) implants were used in a single dose @ 200 mg, 1,000 IU and 100 μg per kg body weight of female brood fish, respectively. Hormonal inducement was given only to females. Simi-artificial breeding method resulted in higher number of fry (mean 251) (P<0.05) compared to artificial one. CPE resulted in the highest number of fry (mean 671) (P<0.05) in semi-artificial breeding method among all the three hormone treatments. This was followed by GnRHa implant producing fry with the mean value of 419 fries. The fish seems to be seasonal breeder. The latent period was 14 hours at 27-29^oC in CPE and HCG treated females, and 21 hours in GnRHa treated females. The incubation period was 26 hours (27-29^oC) in eggs from CPE and HCG treated females, and 20-24 hours in those from GnRHa is suggested for successful hatchery propagation and commercial production of seed for individual fish farmers in the Nepalese context.

J. Inst. Agric. Anim. Sci. 2003 24:59-66