Reproductive biology and condition factor of the African catfish, Clarias gariepinus (Burchell 1822) in Lake Koka, Ethiopia

Alemayehu  Wubie; Adamneh  Dagne; Gashaw  Tesfaye; Genanaw Tesfaye; Dawit Adisu Tadese

doi:10.17017/j.fish.442

Alemayehu Wubie Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research (EIAR) - National Fishery and other Aquatic Life Research Center, P. O. Box 64, Sebeta, Ethiopia
Adamneh Dagne Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research (EIAR) - National Fishery and other Aquatic Life Research Center, P. O. Box 64, Sebeta, Ethiopia
Gashaw Tesfaye Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research (EIAR) - National Fishery and other Aquatic Life Research Center, P. O. Box 64, Sebeta, Ethiopia
Genanaw Tesfaye Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research (EIAR) - National Fishery and other Aquatic Life Research Center, P. O. Box 64, Sebeta, Ethiopia
Dawit Adisu Tadese Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research (EIAR) - National Fishery and other Aquatic Life Research Center, P. O. Box 64, Sebeta, Ethiopia; Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Kunming 650107, China

DOI: https://doi.org/10.17017/j.fish.442

Keywords: breeding season, fecundity, Fulton’s condition factor, ; maturity, sex ratio

Abstract

The study was conducted to investigate the breeding season, sex ratio, size at maturation, fecundity and condition factor of African catfish Clarias gariepinus in Lake Koka. A total of 754 fish specimens were collected from October 2020 to August 2021. Total length and weight were measured and sexes were identified and gonad maturity levels were recorded. The sex ratio of African catfish in different size classes was similar to that of a hypothetical 1:1 ratio. The length at first maturity (L₅₀) was 51.8 cm in total length. The mean Fulton’s condition factor of female African catfish ranged from 0.65 ± 0.05 – 0.71 ± 0.14, while the males ranged from 0.62 ± 0.04 – 0.7 ± 0.11. The Fulton’s condition factor was significantly higher in August for females than in the rest of the sampling months. The highest ripe gonads were recorded in the rainy season and the lowest was in the dry season, with the percentage of ripe gonads being 27.5%, while the males showed similarly extended maturity patterns among seasons. Fisheries management for African catfish should therefore take into account the estimated L₅₀ value and the main breeding season to sustain the fishery and benefits the fishermen.

References

Admassu D, Abera L, Tadesse Z (2015) The food and feeding habits of the African catfish, Clarias gariepinus (Burchell), in Lake Babogaya, Ethiopia. Global Journal of Fisheries and Aquaculture 3(4): 211–220.

Bagenal TB, Braum E (1978) Eggs and early life history (pp. 165–201). In: Bagenal T (Ed) Methods for assessment of fish production in freshwater. IBP Handbook 3, Blackwell Scientific, Oxford.

Bagenal TB, Tesch FW (1978) Age and growth. In: Bagenal T (Ed) Methods for assessment of fish production in freshwaters, 3rd edition, IBP Handbook No. 3, Blackwell Science Publications, Oxford.

Billard R, Breton B (1978) Rhythms of reproduction in teleost fish (pp. 31–53). In: Thorpe JE (Ed) Rhythmic activity of fishes, Academic Press, London.

Bishail HM, Ishak MM, Labib W (1974) Fecundity of the mirror carp Cyprinus carpio L. at the Serow Fish Farm (Egypt). Aquaculture 4: 257–265

Dadebo D, Gebre-Mariam Z, Mengistou S (2011) Breeding season, maturation, Fecundity and condition factor of the African catfish Clarias gariepinus Burchell 1822 (Pisces: Clariidae) in Lake Chamo, Ethiopia. Ethiopian Journal of Biological Science 10(1): 1–17.

Dadebo E (2000) Reproductive biology and feeding habits of the catfish Clarias gariepinus (Burchell) (Pisces: Clariidae) in Lake Awassa, Ethiopia. SINET: Ethiopian Journal of Science 23(2): 231–246.

Dadebo E (2009) Filter-feeding habit of the African catfish Clarias gariepinus Burchell, 1822 (Pisces: Clariidae) in Lake Chamo, Ethiopia. Ethiopian Journal of Biological Sciences 8(1): 15–30.

Dadebo E, Aemro D, Tekle-Giorgis Y (2014) Food and feeding habits of the African catfish Clarias gariepinus (Burchell, 1822) (Pisces: Clariidae) in Lake Koka, Ethiopia. African Journal of Ecology 52: 471–478.

Daniel Gamachu D (1977) Aspects of climate and water budget in Ethiopia. Addis Ababa University press, Addis Ababa.

de Graaf GJ, Galemoni F, Banzoussi B (1995) Artificial reproduction and fingerling production of the African catfish, Clarias gariepinus (Burchell 1822), in protected and unprotected ponds. Aquaculture Research 26(4): 233–242.

Elizabeth Kebede, Zinabu G.mariam, and Ahlgren, I. (1994) The Ethiopian Rift Valley lakes: chemical characteristics of a salinity-alkalinity series. Hydrobiologia, 288(1): 1–12.

Golubtsov AS, Mina MV (2003) Fish species diversity in the main drainage systems of Ethiopia: current knowledge and research perspectives. Ethiopian Journal of Natural Resources 5(2): 281–318.

Gunderson DR, Callahan P, Goiney B (1980) Maturation and fecundity of 4 species of Sebastes. Marine Fisheries Review 42: 74–79.

Habteselassie R (2012) Fishes of Ethiopia. Annotated checklist with pictorial identification Guide. Ethiopian Fisheries and Aquatic Science Association. Addis Ababa. 246 pp.

Haylor G, Muir JF (1998) Fish hatchery manual for Africa: a practical manual for producing seed stock of tilapia, carp and catfish. Pisces Press, UK.

Latif AFA, Rashid MM (1972) Studies on Tilapia nilotica from Lake Nasser. Macroscopic characters of gonads. Fisheries Biology Department. Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries, Cairo 2: 215–238.

Nikolsky CV (1963) The ecology of fishes. Academic Press, London and New York.

Payne AI (1986) The ecology of tropical lakes and rivers. John Wiley and Sons, Chichester. 301 pp.

Tesfaye G (2016) Population and ecosystem-based fisheries assessment of the Rift Valley Lake Koka, Ethiopia. Doctoral dissertation, Bremen University, Germany. 228 pp.

Tesfaye G, Wolff M (2014) The state of inland fisheries in Ethiopia: a synopsis with updated estimates of potential yield. Ecohydrology & Hydrobiology 14(3): 200–219.

Tesfaye G, Wolff M (2015) Stock assessment of fishery target species in Lake Koka, Ethiopia. Revista de Biología Tropical 63(3): 755–770.

Tesfaye G, Wolff M, Taylor M (2016) Gear selectivity of fishery target resources in Lake Koka, Ethiopia: evaluation and management implications. Hydrobiologia 765: 277–295.

Tewabe D (2013) Spatial and temporal distributions and some biological aspects of commercially important fish species in Lake Tana. Proceeding of the annual national review workshop on results of livestock research. EIAR, Ethiopia. pp. 267–282.

Willoughby NG, Tweddle D (1978) The ecology of the catfish Clarias gariepinus and Clarias ngamensis in the Shire Valley, Malawi. Journal of Zoology 186(4): 507–534.

Wotton RJ (1998) Ecology of teleost fishes, 2nd edition. Academic publishers, London.