Induced Breeding and Early Development of Stinging Catfish, Heteropneustes Fossilis (Bloch) (Siluridae)

Abstract

Induced breeding, embryogenic chronology and larva development of Heteropneustes fossilis were studied in this work. One sexually matured female was injected intramuscularly with dry carp pituitary gland suspension at 4 mg/ kg-of body weight. After a latency period of eight hours, the female was stripped while the male was sacrificed to remove the testes which were macerated to fertilize the eggs. Incubation was carried out at 27℃ and the different stages of embryo were photographed using a Nikon SMZ 800 binocular microscope. Hatching started 23.53 hrs after fertilization and the percentage hatchability was 97.5%. Hatchlings had a mean length of 2.5 mm and mean yolk diameter of 0.1 mm. The yolk was completely absorbed between the third and fourth day of hatching and exogenous feeding started on the fourth day of hatching. The mean percentage survival was 75% .