The Relationship Between Sizes of African Catfish <i>Clarias gariepinus</i> Spawners and Their Ovaries
Keywords:
Catfish, Spwaners, Ovaries, Clarias gariepinusAbstract
This experiment studied some of the relationships between the size of various spawners of Clarias gariepinus and their ovaries (gonads). Specimens were obtained from commercial landing site on the lower Niger River at Onitsha, and grouped according to maturity levels using gonad developmental stages I-V as a guide. The results showed that increase in length of gravid immature C.gariepinus could lead to increase in the size of their ovaries. There was a significantly high determinant coefficient for the variables. Regression analysis showed a positive correlation between length of gravid immature C.gariepinus and weight of the ovaries. A negative correlation between length of gravid mature and weight of their ovaries was recorded. The value of gonadosomatic index for the gravid mature showed that spawners could use as high as 10.35% of their weight for egg production. It could be relatively inferred however, that ovaries of gravid immature C.gariepinus are longer than those of the gravid mature.
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