CATFISH FINGERLINGS PRODUCTION IN GHANA

Catfish fingerlings production starts with selecting females broodstock fish. Ideally, broodstock ponder between 500-1000g, with larger fish being difficult to deal with and often resulting in egg losses ahead of stripping, but its advisable to make use of large fishes if someone can help in handling. In general, mature females are selected as outlined by this criteria.

A well distended, swollen abdomen from which ripe eggs can be purchased by slightly pressing the stomach toward the genital papilla. Ripe eggs are generally uniform in size and a experienced hatchery operator are able to see the nucleus as a small dark point in the heart of the egg, a swollen, from time to time reddish or rose colored genital papilla

The most common technique employed to induce final maturation and ovulation in African catfish is always to inject the female with bodily hormones or pituitary gland.

Its advisable to Cover the top of the breeder with a towel in order to keep it quiet during injection. Generally speaking most fish keep still in case their eyes are covered.

The females are mostly injected inside afternoon/evening and are kept (separated in the males) in a pond or perhaps basin, Of major importance is the breeders can be caught easily when its time and energy to ovulate the eggs as avoiding spoilage of eggs.

The speed of the process will depend on water temperature, the higher this temperature the quicker the ova ovulate.

Stripping from the female broodstock is carried out there by gently pressing the abdomen that has a thumb from the pectoral fin towards the genital papilla. Ovulated eggs will flow out easily in a very thick jet from the genital vent and so are usually collected into a dry out plastic container.

The males from the African catfish cannot be stripped and therefore the sperm can only possibly be obtained by sacrificing a man. The male is killed and also the body surface thoroughly dried then the testis is dissected and put into a mortar or a teacup. The testis is rapidly cut into small pieces employing a scissor and finally the milt is pressed out that has a pestle or a teaspoon.

some dilute the milt that has a physiological salt solution about any hour before the female is stripped and this solution is added using the stripped eggs. The advantage of this technique is that eggs from many females can be fertilized united testis of a mature male can potentially fertilize the eggs of 10-15 females.

The sperm (diluted or non-diluted) is included with the stripped eggs, and the eggs fertilized with the help of an equal volume of clear water. The water and egg mass are then combined by gently shaking the pan. Eggs must be stirred continuously until there're placed in the hatching tanks for the reason that eggs become sticky and devoid of stirring will stick together straight into one clump.About 60 seconds after fertilization has taken place and the sperm features lost its activity, the fertilized ova are then ready for incubation with
vats.

The development process through fertilized egg to hatching, like all other biological processes, is dependent about water temperature; the higher the river temperature the faster the ova hatch.
The time it takes regarding catfish eggs to hatch depends on water temperature. clarias catfish typically spawn inside spring, when water temperatures are usually between 70 and 84 °F (21 and 29 °C). A general principle of egg incubation is that water is renewed so as to provide oxygen and that following hatching the larvae are separated in the remaining egg-shells and dead ova. The latter is of utmost importance in order to avoid fungal or bacterial infections connected with hatch-lings and consequent larval fatality.

For more information and supply of fingerlings call 0249469469