Abstract

Yisa, T.A., S.L. Lamai, Tsadu, S.M. and R.J. Kolo

The experiment was conducted using ripe and matured African catfish (Clarias gariepinus), size ranging from 400-650g average total body weight (TBW). They were procured from a private fish farm and transported in perforated 50 litre water holding capacity jerry can to Federal University of Technology, (F.U.T.) Minna, Bosso campus indoor hatchery fish farm. The fish samples were maintained for 2 weeks and observed for ripeness and maturity under optimum temperature and fed with 40% crude protein commercial diet with good water quality management before being used for breeding. Incision was made on the dorsoventral part of the body through Abdominal Incision Method (AIM) to extract milt to fertilize eggs. Fecundity increased with body weight and hence larger fish had higher fecundity and significantly different (P0.05), and with ±SEM (0.516) and SD (1.789) of the bred fingerlings that were managed for 12 weeks. The specie of C. gariepinus could be reused for further genetic studies after abdominal incision breeding method and milt can be extracted without killing the male brood stock but proper and adequate feeding is necessary to hasten the maturation and development of the gonads. Variation in incision length 3.40 cm is recommended for abdominal incision to extract milt from male C. gariepinus for breeding.