PRELIMINARY STUDIES ON URINES OF PREGNANT MAMMALS FOR INDUCING BREEDING IN Clarias gariepinus

Abstract

This research was aimed at evaluating the efficacies of natural and synthetic hormones in respect to percentages of fertilization (F), hatching (H) and survival (S) rates of induced breeding of Clarias gariepinus. A total of eight: four mature males and four gravid female brood stocks were used. The urines of pregnant cow, mare and human containing crude (not extracted) natural hormones were injected into three females each at dosage of 2ml/kg of live body mass while synthetic hormone (Ovaprim) was injected into a female as a control at 0.5ml/kg. After 11 hours of latency period the female catfish were stripped of their eggs and the weights of eggs were measured. Milts were obtained from the males and properly mixed with the eggs. The fertilized eggs were divided into three parts, spread evenly on hatching Kakabans in hatching tray. After two hours, the numbers of the green and white portions of the spread eggs were estimated as fertilized and unfertilized eggs respectively. Using quadrants the population of hatched larvae were estimated and based on average of 650 eggs per 1g of eggs, hatching rates were estimated. After a week, survival rates were calculated by counting the surviving frys. Results were cow (F=23.12%; H=59.70%; S=53.00%); mare (F=22.34%; H=44.76%; S=48.78%); human (F=53.90%; H=80.81%; S=77.49%) and Ovaprim (F=85.46%; H=92.45%; S=80.25%). Pregnant mammal’s urines can induce breeding in C. gariepinus as alternatives to Ovaprim. However, further experiment is recommended for testing higher doses of the urines and the efficacies of extracted hormones from the urines.