Effects of reproductive hormones on reproductive biology of commonly consumed fish in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria

Abstract

Nutritionally proteinous food and feed are required for a balance healthy living. This study was designed to assess the efficacy of some reproductive hormones: human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG), Ovaprim (OVA), extract of carp pituitary (CPE) and deoxy- corticosterone acetate (DOCA) on some aspects of reproductive biology of gravid Heterobranchus longifilis and Clarias gariepinus. A 25 number each of gravid males and females H. longifilis and C. gariepinus were employed in this study. Five experimental set up were designed for the study. Each treatment group was dosed with the required amount of the four reproductive hormones while in the fifth treatment breeders were treated with normal saline. This served as the control experimental. All protocol followed standard procedure. Results showed the highest mean value of relative fecundity (148.177) recorded in H. longifilis treated with ovaprim. This was followed by HCG treated C. gariepinus (145.668). Egg fertility rate had the highest mean value of 61.4803 in C. gariepinus treated with ovaprim, followed by 55.583 mean value in H. longifilis with HCG treatment. Egg hatchability mean value of 70.9280 was the highest observed in H. longifilis with ovaprim treatment. The mean values of survival rate were high in both species with OVA and HCG treatment showing values of 61.86% and 61.00% respectively. Treatment of the species with these reproductive hormones yielded good outcomes, except in the case of DOCA. Thus, CPE, OVA and HCG are recommended for breeding of C. gariepinus and H. longifilis.