Megbowon I., Fashina-Bombata H.A., Akinwale M.M.A., Hammed A.M., Mojekwu T.O.
Department of Aquaculture, Nigerian Institute for Oceanography and Marine Research, Victoria Island, Lagos, Nigeria; Department of Fisheries, Lagos State University, Ojo, Lagos, Nigeria
Megbowon, I., Department of Aquaculture, Nigerian Institute for Oceanography and Marine Research, Victoria Island, Lagos, Nigeria; Fashina-Bombata, H.A., Department of Fisheries, Lagos State University, Ojo, Lagos, Nigeria; Akinwale, M.M.A., Department of Aquaculture, Nigerian Institute for Oceanography and Marine Research, Victoria Island, Lagos, Nigeria; Hammed, A.M., Department of Fisheries, Lagos State University, Ojo, Lagos, Nigeria; Mojekwu, T.O., Department of Aquaculture, Nigerian Institute for Oceanography and Marine Research, Victoria Island, Lagos, Nigeria
The catfish (Clarias gariepinus) used in aquaculture are suffering from inbreeding depression with its attendant poor egg and sperm quality. There is the need to explore the natural population to improve performance. This study was carried out to evaluate the growth performance of strains of the catfish across the freshwater systems of Nigeria. Collections were made from Kogi, Adamawa, Kebbi, Oyo, Anambra, Delta states and domesticated strain obtained from Lagos. The fish were bred and fed for 12 weeks before subjected to growth study. The 25 juveniles of each strain were allocated in 1 m3hapas installed in a 0.4 ha at Badore fish farm, Lagos, Nigeria, fed 3% body weight twice daily while sampling forth-nightly. The results showed that the domesticated strain performed significantly better (α = 0.05) than the six wild strains studied. There was, however, no significant variation in the SGR and FCR among the strains. However, the growth study showed that the strain from Kebbi did not perform as much as other strains in terms of these growth indices. However it had the highest survival (96%). The strains from Oyo and Anambra, however, showed better growth over the rest strains from the wild. The implication of the breeding potentials of Clarias geriepinus strain from Kebbi, Oyo and Anambra is that if several selective breeding of these strains are carried out and the gene pool of Kebbi is combined with any of these two, fish seed of better growth and survival are obtained. © 2014 Academic Journals Inc.