Catfish Culture in Nigeria: Progress, Prospects and Problems

INTRODUCTION				N/A
Catfishes of the family Claridae comprise the				C. isheriensiss
most commonly cultivated fishes in Nigeria. The				C. gariepinus
growth of aquaculture in Nigeria now is largely				Fagbenro (1992)
being boosted by a steady rise in catfish culture.				Olukunle & Falaye (1998)
Since the culture of Clarias gariepinus through				Table 2: Aquaculture Production in Nigeria
hypophysation was initiated in Western Nigeria in				� Tonnes
1973, the procedure has been widely practiced				Tilapias, (Oreochromis niloticus), O. niloticus x O.
throughout Nigeria thus leading to increase of				Aureus
farm-raised catfishes from the 80’s to date.				� 11,363
The favoured catfish species in Nigeria aquaculture				Sarotherodon galilaeus, S. melanopleura, T. zilli, T.
include: Clarias gariepinus, Heterobranchus				guinensis
bidorsalis, Clarias X Heterobranchus hybrid				� 3,025
(Heteroclarias) and Clarias nigrodigitatus.				Mud catfishes (Clarias gariepinus, C. anguillaris,
Heterobranchus sp is the more commonly				� 6,553
cultured fish in the South Eastern parts of Nigeria.				Heterobranchus bidorsalis, H. longifilis,
LARVAL PRODUCTION				Heterobranchus x Clarias
Despite the popularity of the African catfish and				Hybrids
its great market potentials, the production is still				�
basically at subsistence level due majorly to				Brackish water catfish (Chrysicthys
inadequate availability of seed for stocking and				� 1,515
feed problems. In Europe, about 75% of Clarias				Carp (Common carp, Cyprinus carpio, Indian carps;
fingerling demands are supplied by a few				goldfish Carrasus
producers. In Nigeria however, the fingerlings				sp.)
supplied from both the government and privately				�
owned hatcheries are not enough to meet the				Heterotis (Heterotis
catfish farmers’ fingerling demands.				�
Artificial propagation of C. gariepinus is now				� 654
carried out in hatcheries with hormonal induction.				Mullets (Mugil cephalus, Liza
Farmers have found the homoplastic pituitary				� 336
gland suspension cheaper, practical and more				Snakehead (Parachanna
highly reliable than the imported synthetic				�
hormonal analogues. The C. gariepinus broodstock
weight used for artificial breeding ranges between				Other
0.3kg and 2kg (Olaleye, 2005). Despite the				�
breakthrough with use of hormone in induced				2,921
spawning; fry survival is still beset with a number				�
of biotic and abiotic factors. The biotic factors				� 30,776
include cannibalism, heavy predation by frogs				Fagbenro, et al. (2003)
aquatic insects and the abiotic factors include				A number of problems confront the production of
water temperature, dissolved oxygen (>4.5mg				catfish. Prominent among these are: poor
L-1), levels of ammonia. During the first week				management skills, scarcity of good quality seed,
after stocking, the most critical factor for the				lack of capital, high cost of feed, faulty data
successful nursing of the catfish larvae is the				collection, lack of environmental impact
availability of zooplankton. Feeds and feeding of				consideration and marketing of products. Many
the larvae, fry and fingerlings of the catfishes				people who are currently engaged in catfish
have been most studied and shown to influence				farming lack management skill. Although there has
the growth and survival of the fish. Studies have				been a lot of research work on the production of
revealed that live zooplankton is the preferred				catfish feed and feeding, the use of cheap
larval food. Many smallholdings merely rear larvae				feedstuffs to replace or substitute fishmeal
to fingerling size in organically fertilized ponds at a				catfish farmers still rely on the costly, mostly
density of between 30-1000 larvae/m2 (Olaleye,				imported pelleted floating feed.
2005). Fingerlings are stocked into rearing ponds				The success of the industries for channel catfish,
at a rate of 50-75 fish/m3 under good				rainbow trout and the salmonids in the USA is due
management.				mainly to the availability of pelleted diets
THE CULTURE SYSTEM				formulated based on the results obtained from
Because of the cannibalistic nature of Clarias				the nutritional studies of fishes over many years.
gariepinus, multiple sorting is essential. For outdoor				There is urgent need for co-ordination of such
fry/fingerlings rearing, screening of the tanks with				research work and the feed manufacturers’
mosquito nets is recommended to prevent				access to the relevant data for quality and
dragonfly and other predatory insects from				relatively cheap feed production.
breeding in the ponds. Poly-culture of Clarias				The Federal/State governments’ public
gariepinus and Tilapia species is practiced. A				private partnership initiative programmes and the
poly-culture of Clarias gariepinus and Oreochromis				various private concerns establishing standard
niloticus, integrated with poultry with some				hatcheries are gradually yielding results to solve
supplementary feeding had been shown to be				the problem of seed scarcity. However, to
viable.				produce good quality seed, aquaculture needs to
FEED AND FEEDING				explore the potential of genetics. As at today,
Feed and feeding of catfishes in grow outs ponds				most teaching institutions do not have well
are perhaps the most documented in literature.				equipped genetic laboratories where research can
Various efforts have been made to establish the				be carried out on the production of genetically
crude protein and amino acid requirement of C.				improved catfish species (Omitoyin, 2007).
gariepinus. Ayinla (1988) recommended 35% and				CONCLUSION
40% crude protein (Cp) for raising table size and				Considerable effort had been devoted to the
brood stock respectively. Of the 10 essential				study and production of Clarias and
amino acids (EAA) required by warm water fish				Heterobranchuis spp in Nigeria. Catfish farming has
species, only 3 EAAs studied have been				continued to attract private sector initiative
documented and these are arginnie, methionine				compared to earlier public or
and lysine. In order to formulate and compound				government-sponsored programmes. If the
aqua feeds that will meet the nutrient				associated problems of production, especially the
requirements of the catfish at affordable cost,				twin issue of feed production and fingerling supply
several conventional and non-conventional animal				are tackled, Nigeria will soon become a world
by-products and plant residues have been tested				exporter of catfish.
to substitute or replace fishmeal (Table 1). Feeding				REFERENCES
development has moved from the use of single				Adeogun, O.A.; O. A. Ayinla; A.M. Ajana and E.A.
ingredient, broadcasting un-pelleted meal to				Ajao (1999): Economicimpact assessment of
pelleting and in fact the use of pelleted floating				hybrid catfish (Heteroclarias) in Nigeria. Technical
feed which has made a big difference to				Report of National Agricultural Research Project
aquaculture development in Nigeria as C. gariepinus				(NARP). NIOMR , Victoria Island, Lagos. P 27.
is being raised to maturity within 6 months.				Adewumi A.A. (2005): The effects of the heating
HYBRIDIZATION OF Clarias gariepinus x				time of soybean for the broodstocknutrition on
Heterobranchus longifilis				the reproductive performance of C. gariepinus
The yearnings of farmers and scientists to have				(Burchell 1822). 162p.
a farmed catfish that combines the fast growth				Ayinla O.A. (1988): Nutritive and Reproductive
traits of Heterobranchus spp and early maturing				Performance of Clarias gariepinus
traits of C. gariepinus led to the development of a				(Burchell 1822). Unpublished Ph.
hybrid ‘Heteroclarias’ spp. The technology				D Thesis, University of Ibadan, Nigeria. 433p.
was widely accepted as it gave 58% internal rate				Balogun A.M. and A. D. Ologhobo (1989): Growth
of return (IRR) on investment (Adeogun et al,				performance and nutrient utilizationof fingerling C.
1999).				gariepinus (Burchell) fed raw and cooked soybean
CULTURE SYSTEM MODIFICATION				diets. Aquaculture, 76:119-126.
In the review of Oresegun et al (2007), it was				Eyo A.A. and E. Adelowo (1990): The response of
stated that early fish farmers in Nigeria raised				mudfish fingerlings to different levels of groundnut
their fish in burrow pits, abandoned minefields and				cake and soybean meal. In: NIFFR Annual Report.
in earthen ponds on extensive production system.				Pp 104-109.
The introduction of concrete tanks allows for				Eyo, A.A.; B.A. Falayi and T.C. Ajayi (2001):
manageable pond size and modification of the				Comparison of extruded and
environment through a water flow-through				non-extrudedsoybean meals in the diet of
system and supplementary feeding thus allowing				genetically improved mudfish, H. longifilis juveniles.
for higher fish yield. The advent of the indoor				Book of Abstracts of the 16th Annual Conference
water re-circulatory system (WRS) has ushered				of Fisheries Society of Nigeria, Baga, 4-9th Nov.,
in a new prospect for aquaculture. The				p35.
introduction of WRS has created a turning point in				Fagbenro O.A. (1992): Utilization of cocoa pod husk
the production of catfish in Nigeria.				in low-cost diets by the clariid
PROSPECTS AND PROBLEMS OF CULTURE				catfish, C. isheriensis
The story of aquaculture in Nigeria is essentially				Syndeham. Aquac. And Fish. Manag. 23:175-182.
the story of catfish culture and the hope of fish				Fashakin E.A and A. M. Balogun (1996):
supply in Nigeria hangs on its development and				Replacement of groundnut cake withprocessed
culture. Recent trends all over the world, point to				soybean meals in diets for the African mud
a decline in landing from capture fisheries, an				catfish, C. gariepinus. J. Appl. Trop. Agriculture.
indicator that fish stocks have approached or				1:5-11.
even exceeded the point of maximum sustainable				Fagbenro, O.A.; Adeparusi E.O. and Fapounda O.O.
yield. Aquaculture therefore remains the only				(2003): Feedstuffs and dietarysubstitution for
viable alternative for increasing fish production in				farmed fish in Nigeria. In: National workshop on fish
order to meet the protein need of the people. It				feed development and feeding practices in
was observed that of the over 30,000MT of				aquaculture. Organized by FISON, NIFFR and
various freshwater and brackish water fish				FAO-NSPFS. Ed Eyo A. A.. Pp 60-72.
species caught in the year 2000, catfishes were				Fagbenro, O.A. and S.J. Davis (2003): Use of high
more abundant next to Tilapines (Table 2). FAO				percentages soybean proteinconcentrate as
(1993) reported that 27,488MT of catfishes				fishmeal substitute in practical diets for African
produced in 1990 were consumed locally. This				catfish, C. gariepinus (Burchell 1822): growth, feed
implies that there is still great need for higher				utilization and digestibility. J. applied Aquac.. 16 (1).
production for both local and international markets.				FAO (1993): Yearbook of fishery Statistics.
Table 1: Some Plant Residues Used for Clariidae				Catches and Landings. FAO of the United
Culture in Nigeria.				Nations, Rome. Vol. 72, 643p.
Conventional Plant feedstuffs				Olaleye V.F. (2005): A review of reproduction and
Availability				gamete management in the African
Fish species				catfish, C. gariepinus (Burchell).
References				Ife J. Sci. 7(1): 63-70.
Groundnut cake				Olukunle A.O. and Falaye A.E. (1998): Use of
Adequate				sesame seed cake as replacement forfishmeal in
C. anguillaris				diets for catfish, Clarias gariepinus (Burchell 1822).
Solomon et al. (1996); Eyo & Adelowo (1990)				Appl. Trop. Agric. 3(2): 86-91.
Soybean cake;				Omitoyin, B.O. (2007): Introduction to fish farming
Full fat/defatted;				in Nigeria. University of Ibadan Press.
Dehulled solvent extracted; Soybean flour;				90p.
Extruded/non extruded				Oresegun, A.; O.A. Ayinla; G.R. Akande, M. Ndem
Adequate				and J. Simpa (1996): Feeds andfeeding practice of
C. anguillaris				fish farmers in Lagos state. NIOMR Technical
C. gariepinus				paper No. 19. P 11.
C. gariepinus				Oresegun, A.; O. R. Oguntade and O. A. Ayinla
H. longifilis				(2007): A review of catfish culture in
Solomon et al. (1996); Balogun & Ologhobo				Nigeria. Nig. J. Fisheries. 4(1):27-52.
(1989); Fashakin & Balogun (1996); Adewumi				Solomon, S. G.; A. A. Eyo and F.D. Sikoki (1996):
(2005)				An investigation of the effect ofreplacing fishmeal
Eyo et al. (2001); Fagbenro & Davis (2003)				with soybean meal, groundnut cake and bloodmeal
Non-Conventional Plant feedstuffs				at varied proportion on growth and food utilization
Availability				of the Clarias anguillaris fingerlings fed in outdoor
Fish species				hapas. In: Proceedings of the 13th Annual
References				conference of the fisheries Society of Nigeria
Cocoa pod husk				(FISON), New Bussa, 3rd-8th Nov. 1996. Ed A.A.
Sesame seed				Eyo. Pp 144-150.
Adequate

Bgf Journal

Catfish Culture in Nigeria: Progress, Prospects and Problems

More in Articles