Evaluation of growth rate, frequency of shooters and survival of inbred and crossbred of Clarias gariepinus haplotypes of River Donga, Nigeria

Abstract

African catfish (Clarias gariepinus) is a widely studied species in aquaculture due to its rapid growth rates, adaptability to various environments, and the potential for breeding programs. This study aims to evaluate growth rate, frequency of shooters and survival of C. gariepinus (Burchell, 1822) Inbred and Crossbred haplotypes of river Donga, Nigeria. Which was carried out for a period of eight (8) weeks from February – March 2021. Thirty (30) fish samples were utilised for molecular analysis, following standard laboratory procedure for sequencing. The fry from the sequence fish samples were evaluated for growth performance, frequency of shooter and survival across the inbred (Hap1 ♀D x Hap1 ♂D, Hap3 ♀D x Hap3 ♂D) and crossbred (Hap1 ♀D x Hap3 ♂D and Hap1 ♂D x Hap3 ♀D) haplotypes. After eight (8) weeks of rearing, the crossbred haplotypes demonstrated higher weight gain (g), length gain (cm), specific growth, frequency of shooters and percentage survival compared to the inbred group. The highest mean final weight (MFW) of 25.47±0.64 g and mean weight gain (MWG) of 24.02±0.13 g was observed in the crossbred group resulting from a Haplotype 1 female crossed with a Haplotype 3 male (Hap1 ♀D × Hap3 ♂D). In contrast, the lowest values for MFW (17.44±0.98 g) and MWG (16.41±0.93 g) were recorded in the inbred group (Hap1 ♀D × Hap1 ♂D). Additionally, crossbred haplotypes exhibited higher survival rates, with Hap1 ♀D × Hap3 ♂D showing 78% and Hap1 ♂D × Hap3 ♀D showing 79% survival. The implications for breeding programs are significant, providing a roadmap for utilizing hybridization of genetic groups to enhance growth and survival traits in C. gariepinus.