Ecology Journal

Ecology Journal

Ecology Journal

Ecology Journal

Effect of food availability on the reproductive activity of catfish



 

ABSTRACT: The aim of the present study was to examine the involvement of food availability on reproductive activity in a fresh water catfi sh Mystus cavasius, locally known as gulsha. Fish undergoing active reproduction were reared with saturated feed (SF; 1.5-2.0% of body mass) and limited feed (LF; one-tenth of SF) under natural photoperiod and temperature. Reduction of food ration aff ected ovarian development during the reproductive season in this species. The limited feeding resulted in signifi cant decreases in gonadosomatic index (GSI) within 15 days with disappearance of vitellogenic oocytes from the ovaries. When the LF-reared fi sh were re-fed with SF, their GSI was increased and vitellogenic oocytes re-appeared within 15 days. When these two feeding levels were crossed with 20, 25 and 30 0C temperature regimes, the fi sh maintained better ovarian conditions at 30 0C than those at 20 and 25 0C, but not under LF conditions, suggested that minimum and maximum temperatures infl uenced the reproductive performance of the studied fi sh. 

 

Keywords: Catfi sh, food availability, histology, ovarian development, reproduction