EFFECTS OF DISSOLVED OXYGEN CONCENTRATION ON HATCHABILITY AND SURVIVAL RATE OF AFRICAN CATFISH (Clarias gariepinus)
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.33003/jaat.2025.1103.15Keywords:
Aeration;, aquaculture;, broodstock;, fish hatchery;, water qualityAbstract
This study evaluated the effects of dissolved oxygen concentration on the hatchability and survival rate of African catfish (Clarias gariepinus). Broodstock were induced using pituitary gland extract, and the fertilized eggs were subjected to four experimental treatments: T1 (flow-through with aerator), T2 (flow-through only), T3 (aerator only), and T4 (control, no flow-through or aerator), each in replicate. A Completely Randomized Design (CRD) was employed, and water quality parameters were monitored weekly. Results showed that hatchability was generally low across treatments, with percentage hatchability values of 14.55 ± 1.60% (T1), 18.29 ± 1.19% (T2), 15.15 ± 1.28% (T3), and 32.98 ± 3.21% (T4), with significant difference among treatments (p < 0.05). Fry survival followed the sequence T2 (60%) > T4 (50%) > T3 (40%) > T1 (30%). Water quality parameters remained within acceptable range for the culture of African catfish fry (temperature: 30.95–33.15°C, DO: 6.06–6.53 mg/L, pH: 6.41–6.58). The findings showed that flow-through systems enhance fry survival by maintaining adequate oxygen levels and reducing the accumulation of waste, whereas aeration treatments were less effective, due to unstable power supply. Overall, hatchability was below average across all systems; however, survival rates were higher in flow-through setups. Therefore, it is recommended that hatcheries adopt gravity-fed flow-through systems as a cost-effective strategy to improve fry survival.
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