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Effects of Testosterone Propionate on Growth, Survival and Sex-ratio of African Catfish (clarias Gariepinus Burchell)

M. Samsul Alam
Department of Fisheries Biology & Genetics, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh 2202, Bangladesh

M. Zamal Uddin
Department of Fisheries Biology & Genetics, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh 2202, Bangladesh

Abstract/ Executive Summary:

For studying the effects of different levels of testosterone propionate on growth, survival and sex-ratio, five different doses such as 125, 100, 75, 50, 25 mg hormone per kg feed were administered to 5-day old Clarias gariepinus fry through diet for a period of 40 days. The growth performance in terms of weight and length gain of the fry receiving 100 and 75 mg hormone per kg feed were significantly higher than those receiving 50, 25 and 0 (untreated control) mg hormone per kg feed. The groups of fry treated with higher doses of hormone showed lower survival compared to those with lower doses of hormone. The frequency of male fish in all the hormone treated groups except the 125 mg/kg group were significantly higher than that of the expected frequency of male fish in a normal population. The highest frequency of male fish, 92.08%, was obtained with the diet containing 50 mg hormone/kg diet however, the highest levels of hormone (125 mg/kg diet) resulted in relatively lower frequency of male fish.

Keywords: Testosterone-propionate, African catfish, Sex-ratio

Location: Bangladesh Agricultural University

Start Date: 00-02-1996

End Date: 00-08-1996

Program Area: Animal Health and Management

Commodity: Cat fish

Objectives:

1. An androgenic hormone testosterone propionate has been administered in the first feeding fry of C. gariepinus with variable doses in order to optimize the dose for the production of maximum male population, and

2. To know the comparative growth performance and survival of the fry during the hormone feeding phase receiving different levels of hormone dose.

Methodology:

Sources of fry and experimental design - The experiment was conducted with first feeding larvae of C. gariepinus which were produced through induced breeding by using human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) and carp pituitary extracts as inducing agents. The experiment was conducted with 5-day old larvae having an average total length of 7.4 mm and average body weight of 6.8 mg. Eighteen plastic bowls of 20 cm radius and 21 cm depth were used for the hormonal treatment. The plastic bowls were arranged into 3 rows, 6 bowls each and each bowl contained 300 C. gariepinus larvae. The plastic bowls were randomly arranged for six treatments (T₁ - T₆) each with 3 replications. The fry of treatments T₁, T₂, T₃, T₄_, T₅ and T₆ were fed with diet containing 125,100,75,50, 25 and 0 mg of hormone per kg feed respectively. Preparation of hormone treated feed - The androgenic hormone testosterone propionate used in this study was collected from local market with the trade name of 'Testoviron' (Germany) in oily preparation. For preparing the hormone-mixed feed 250 mg of hormone was dissolved in 250 ml ethanol which was considered as stock solution. For the diets containing 12S, 100, 7S, SO and 2S mg of hormone per kg of feed 75 ml, 60 ml, 45 ml, 30 ml, and 15 ml of the stock solution was mixed with 600 g of 'SABINCO' shrimp nursery feed respectively. Additional ethanol was added to each of the diet to equalize the volume up to 75 ml. The untreated control (T₆) was also mixed with 75 ml of ethanol without hormone. The feeds were then air dried at room temperature to remove ethanol by evaporation and then oven dried at 30° C for 24 hours, All the feeds were stored in a vacuum polythene bag by sealing the opening and then kept in refrigerator (4°C). Feeding trial and rearing - The larvae were fed regularly three times daily at 08.00, 14.00 and 22.00 hours at the rates of 35%, 30% 25% and 20% of body weight per day for the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th 10 days respectively of the 40 days hormone treatment phase. The uneaten feed, debris and faeces were siphoned once daily. The bowls were provided with a continuous supply of water through perforated PVC pipes. After completion of the hormonal trial the fish were transferred to fibre glass tanks and fed with hormone free artificial feed for two month. The fish were then transferred in a race-way and reared for another four months when sexing of the fish could be done easily with normal 'SABINCO' catfish feed containing 30% protein, 6% lipid, 6% crude fibre and 17% ash. Collection and analysis of data - A representative of 15 fry from each bowl were randomly sampled for the record of weight (mg) and length (mm) at 10. days interval. The dead fry were removed from the bowl and recorded daily. For studying the sex-ratio in different treatments the fish were sexed morphologicallly by the genital papillae at the age of about eight momhs. Sexually mature C. gariepinus can be easily sexed on the basis of genital papilla which is elongated and pointed for the males, and short and round for the females. The sex of the relatively smaller fish were confirmed by examining the gonadal condition following dissection. The growth parameters of the larvae were analysed by Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) following completely randomomised design and Duncan's New Multiple Range Test (DMRT). The analysis was done by using a computer package 'STATGRAPHICS' version-7. The frequencies of male population in the different treatments were compared with that of the expected frequency of male fish (50%) in a random normal population by Chi-square Test.

Source of Information: Bangladesh J. Fish. Res., 2(1): 31-39, 1998

Article Link (Online Journal):

Funding Source:

Total Budget (Tk.) :

Achievement/Findings:

The objective of a sex-reversal experiment is to produce 100% mono-sex population of a particular sex. The highest frequency of male fish obtained in the present study is 92.08% which indicates that it is possible to reverse the sex mostly or entirely by dietary administration of testosterone propionate in C. gariepinus. Further research in this species is however, extremely essential.

Knowledge Management: Journal