SummaryBreeding and larval performance of novel hybrids from reciprocal crosses of Asian catfishPangasianodon hypophthalmus(Sauvage, 1878) and African catfishClarias gariepinus(Burchell, 1822) were investigated in this study. Spawning was by hormonal injection of brood fish, artificial fertilization, and incubation in triplicate aquarium tanks (0.5 × 0.5 × 0.5 m3) with continuous aeration. Reciprocal crosses (♀C. gariepinus× ♂P. hypophthalmusand ♀P. hypophthalmus× ♂C. gariepinus) had lower hatchability (≤50%) than their pure siblings (≥75%). Fish from all crosses survived until the juvenile stage but survival at 35 days post hatching (dph) was higher for pureC. gariepinussib. ♀C. gariepinus× ♂P. hypophthalmuswas observed to be less resistant to degradation of water quality than the other crosses, however it had higher body weight compared with the other crosses that showed similar performance. Morphological comparison of surviving juvenile at 35 dph, showed that all ♀P. hypophthalmus× ♂C. gariepinusand 13% of the ♀C. gariepinus× ♂P. hypophthalmusexhibited the very same morphology as that of their maternal parent species, while the other portion of the ♀C. gariepinus× ♂P. hypophthalmuscross exhibited morphological traits that were intermediate between those of both parent species. This study been the first successful attempt to hybridize both species and therefore, laid the groundwork for further studies on the aquaculture potentials of the novel hybrids.
Embryonic and larvae development of reciprocal crosses between Pangasianodon hypophthalmus (Sauvage, 1878) and Clarias gariepinus (Burchell, 1822)