Digestive enzymes in the alimentary canal of Clarias anguillaris (Pisces: Clariidae)

Abstract

Three groups of digestive enzymes were observed in the alimentary canals of the fingerlings and adults of Clarias anguillaris. The enzymes were carbohydrases including amylase, sucrase, lactase and maltase, proteases including peptase, tryptase and peptidase, and lipase. The activities of the protease were found to be higher in the fingerlings than in the adults while carbohydrases' activities were higher in the adults than fingerlings. Amylase was most widely distributed, found in both fingerlings and adults and in every region studied; it was followed by lactase. Of the proteases, peptase was found to have the widest distribution. Lipase activity was found in the alimentary canal of the adults.

Tropical Freshwater Biology VOL. 8 1999, pp. 55-63



KEY WORDS:

digestive enzymes – carbohydrases – proteases – lipases - Clarias anguillaris