Hybridization of snout mouth deformed and normal mouth African catfish <i>Clarias gariepinus</i>

Abstract

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of head deformity on the growth and development of catfish (Clarias gariepinus). The obvious increasing market for fish protein calls for evaluation of factors that influences the yield of fish. Fertilization was carried out among Clarias gariepinus with snout mouth (a form of cephalic abnormality) and normal Clarias obtained from Ado-Ekiti, in Ekiti State together with a control study involving fertilization among non-cephalic abnormality or normal Clarias. The highest hatchability rate of 64.44 % was recorded in the control study and the least of 38.02 % was recorded in crosses where both parents were cephalically deformed. In growth performance of the offspring, the crosses involving the deformed parents (SM x SM) had the highest mean weight and mean length of 3.941 ± 0.56 g and 4.84 ± 0.89 cm, while the least of 2.477 ± 0.16 g and 3.34 ± 0.5 cm was recorded in crosses involving normal parent and deformed head parent (SM x NM), after 12 weeks of raising the offspring. There was no occurrence of snout mouth deformity among the progenies of all the crosses. However there were few occurrences of other forms of deformities; four cases of albinism and one case of inwardly bent trunk among the fries.

Keywords: African catfish, Clarias, Hybridization, Cephalic abnormality, Snout mouth