22/04/2020
STEPS ON HOW TO PRODUCE FINGERLINGS:-
Catfish are so-named because of their whisker-like barbels, which are located on the nose, each side of the mouth, and on the chin. Most catfish possess leading spines in their dorsal and pectoral fins. Catfish are scaleless, a characteristic of catfishes distinguishing them from most other teleost fish.
Many farmers have been unable to successfully breed African Catfish.Several attempts made have given unfruitful results. In this guide, OYEDELE KAYODE lists his own simple 19 proven steps to efficiently breed the African Catfish.
Due to the difficulties of getting consistent, fast growing, disease resistant and uniform sized catfish fingerlings and juveniles, the African Catfish Hatchery came into existence.
In the African Catfish Hatchery, catfish fry ‘come out’ from eggs under an artificial condition in commercial numbers. These fry grow into fingerlings and they later become juveniles.
The past practice of capturing African catfish fingerlings or juveniles from the wild often encouraged disease infested stocks and the supplies of the fingerlings in large numbers from the wild are not always consistent. This practice has never been commercially reasonable since the man hours expended in capturing the fishes are not commensurate with the fishes caught.
Steps of propagation
Theses steps are by no means fixed. In fact new ideas are emerging constantly.
The African catfish could be propagated in several ways. These ways are basic, though dynamic. The following steps are from Mr OYEDELE own experience in propagating the fish.
Step 1: Identify and separate the sexes.
Determining sexes in the African Catfish: The male and female of the African catfish can be easily recognized. The male has a distinct sexual papilla, elongated and located just behind the a**s. This sexual papilla is usually red at the tip for sexually ready males. It is absent in females.
A gentle press on the belly of the female fish towards the genita