Dietary dried Kigelia africana fruits meal as fertility enhancer in female Clarias gariepinus (BurchelI, 1822)

Abstract

The pro-fertility effect of dried K. africana fruit meal was investigated on reproductive performance of female C. gariepinus (mean body weight, 396.05±7.04) fed with increasing levels for 90 days in relationship to egg production and quality (number, shape, structure, fecundity) and hatchability (% fertilization, % hatching, % survival). Fecundity dropped from 93345 in fish fed with the control diet to 59904 in fish fed with dried K. africana fruit meal. Fertilization of the eggs decreased with increasing dietary KAFM levels. Also % deformity decreased from 3.62 % in fish fed with control diet to 0.95 % in fish fed with dietary KAFM. Hatchability (%) increased from 75 % in fish fed with the control to 88.98 % in fish fed with diet D3 (100 g KAFM/kg diet) but decreased with increasing dietary KAFM levels to 150 and 200 g/kg diet. The decreased in % deformity in hatchlings of C. gariepinus fed dietary KAFM compared with the control diet suggest that K. Africana fruit meal improves the quality of larvae. The highest % survival (92.84 %) of hatchlings was recorded in fish fed with dietary KAFM (100 g KAFM/kg diet). Egg sizes for fish fed the control diet and dietary KAFM levels revealed no significant difference in egg size. The results showed that the dried K. africana fruit meal had greater fertility on male than female C. gariepinus.