COMPARATIVE EFFECT AND ECONOMIC ANALYSIS OF PITUITARY EXTRACTS AND SYNTHETIC HORMONE (Ovaprim) ON THE HATCHABILITY AND SURVIVAL RATE OF AFRICAN CATFISH (Clariasgariepinus) FRY

Abstract

A comparative study was conducted to access the effects and economics analyses of nonsynthetic hormone (Pituitary extract) and synthetic hormone (Ovaprim) on latency period, hatchability, survival rate of Clariasgariepinusfry. Two females brood stock with average body weight of 745 g were separately injected with 0.37 ml of ovaprim at the cost of #870 and the second female with 0.75 ml of pituitary extract at the cost of #1,504. They were allowed to go through latency period at temperature of 27^oC. The result of the latency period showed significant different (p>0.05) as ovaprim had latency period of 656.67±30.53 minutes and pituitary extract had 729.67±17.67 minutes. There was also significant difference(p>0.05) in percentage hatchability in which 57.72±0.70% and 65.81±0.85% recorded respectively for pituitary extract and ovaprim. There was significant difference in the survival rate of the fry with record of 64.83±0.76% for ovaprim and 58±1.0% for pituitary extract. Cost benefit analysis showed that it cost #31.183 to induce Clariasgariepinusto produce 1 gram of egg using ovaprim and #51.503 to produce 1 gram of egg with pituitary extract. It is thus concluded that ovaprim is superior to pituitary extract in induction of Clariasgariepinusin artificial breeding and ovaprim is recommended for use because of the derived benefits and conveniences.