Comparative efficacy of Ovaprim and hMG (menotropin) to induce breeding in African catfish (Clarias gariepinus).

The applications of exogenous hormones in different species for the induction of oocyte production, final oocyte maturation (FOM), and spawning for their reproduction is getting more attention day by day. The current preliminary research work was carried out to induce breeding in Clarias gariepinus, commonly known as African catfish, imported from Thailand. Single doses of two hormones as Ovaprim and human menopausal gonadotropin (hMG) were used and the research work was carried out at Muzaffargarh Fish Hatchery Punjab, Pakistan. A total of twenty-four (n = 24) C. gariepinus were selected having body weight approximately 2 kg and divided into two main groups based on gender as male (n = 12) and female (n = 12). For milt collection, all males were treated with Ovaprim 0.5 mg/kg body weight (b.w.) and female fish were divided into three groups as A, B, and C with four (n = 4) fish in each group. Group A was injected with only normal saline (control group) while fish in group B and group C were treated with hMG at 0.5 mg/kg b.w. and Ovaprim 0.5 mg/kg b.w., respectively. Then, after 6 h of hormone injections until 48 h, spawned eggs, eggs' weight, fertilization rate, hatching rate, survival rate, fecundity, and deformed larvae were investigated. The results revealed that Ovaprim injection significantly (p < 0.05) modulate the reproductive parameters in group C while no breeding was induced in both control and hMG-treated groups. Hence, it could be concluded that Ovaprim has the potential to induce breeding in African catfish, while in the current study, hMG failed to induce breeding. However, trials at large scales are required to further explore the effect of different doses of both tested hormones by increasing the treated subjects particularly in Pakistani fish farms.