scholarly journals Testicular Morphology and Sperm Motility in Cultured African Catfish (Clarias gariepinus) at Different Stages of Development

2016 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 281-285 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chidozie Nwabuisi OKOYE ◽  
Udensi Maduabuchi IGWEBUIKE ◽  
Anietie Francis UDOUMOH ◽  
Chinadindu Tochukwu OKEREKE

Testicular morphology and sperm motility were evaluated in cultured Clarias gariepinus (n = 25) purposively assigned to five groups according to their age. The results showed that the testes were paired, elongated, dorso-ventrally flattened structures, situated in the caudal aspects of the body cavity. The mean length of both right and left testes increased linearly with age, being significantly (p < 0.05) higher at 6 months than at 4 and 5 months of age, and also significantly (p < 0.05) higher at 8 months than at 6 months of age, while the mean weight and organo-somatic index of the catfish testes increased linearly until 6 months of age, after which no significant (p > 0.05) increase in the testicular weight and organo-somatic index was observed. Unidirectional progressive movement of spermatozoa was detected in the milt of C. gariepinus at 6, 7 and 8 months of age, but sperm cells were non-motile at 4 and 5 months of age. Histological sections showed seminiferous lobules, whose germinal epithelia were characterized by many cysts enclosing clones of sperm cells. Each cyst enclosed a clone of sperm cells at an identical stage of spermatogenesis. Spermatids and spermatozoa were present in the lumen of the seminiferous lobule. The obtained results indicate that the morphology of the testes of C. gariepinus is similar to the testes of members of the order Siluriformes, but sexual maturity and production of motile spermatozoa may be achieved at 6 months of age in the African catfish.

Author(s):  
Dyah Anggraeni ◽  
Nurlela Nurlela

Background: Natural preservatives are compounds produced by natural ingredients that can suppress bacterial growth and development. Natural preservatives are carried out because most of the preservatives circulating are chemicals and unsafe for the body. One of the natural preservatives is by using garlic extract (Allium sativum L).  Objective: This study is aimed to determine the effectiveness of the antibacterial garlic (Allium sativum L) as a natural preservative in fresh African catfish (Clarias gariepinus).  Method: This research used the Pour Plate iroculation method. African catfish (Clarias gariepinus) which is soaked with garlic (Allium sativum L) with a concentration of 7%, 14% and 21% for 30 minutes, then the fish will be kept at room temperature with a storage period of 24 hours and 48 hours and calculated growth in bacterial numbers with the Colony counter.  Result: Based on the research result, it was found that garlic extract (Allium sativum L) can obstruct the effectiveness of antibacterial in African catfish (Clarias gariepinus) at a concentration of 14%.


Author(s):  
M. Barson

Clarias gariepinus were collected from Lake Chivero, Zimbabwe, and examined for nematode parasites from November 2000 to May 2002. Of the 202 specimens collected, 42.6 % were infected with third-stage larvae of Contracaecum sp. in the body cavity. The intensity of the infection was 1-7 worms per fish (mean intensity = 2.2). Seasonal variation in the prevalence of the parasite was not obvious and there was no significant difference in the prevalence of infection between males and females (c2 = 2.228; P > 0.05). No significant relationship between host size and prevalence was established. There was also no significant relationship between intensity and the body condition factor (r = 0.11; P > 0.05). The low parasite prevalence may have been caused by the disruption of the infection cycle since piscivorous birds, which are the final hosts of the parasite, do not feed on C. gariepinus in Lake Chivero.


2005 ◽  
Vol 62 (3) ◽  
pp. 208-213 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rodrigo Ozório ◽  
Vincent Van Ginneken ◽  
Guido van den Thillart ◽  
Martin Verstegen ◽  
Johan Verreth

Lipids, together with proteins, are traditionally considered as primary fuels during aerobic swimming. The effects of dietary fat and carnitine supplements and exercise on the energy metabolism of juvenile fish were investigated. One hundred African catfish (Clarias gariepinus) were fed four isonitrogenous diets containing a fat level of 100 or 190 g kg-1 diet and one of the two levels of carnitine (15 and 1000 mg kg-1). Fish grew from 61 to 162 g in 10 wk. Thereafter, 6 fish per group swam vigorously for 3 h and the results were compared with unexercised groups. Fish receiving 1,000 mg carnitine accumulated 2- to 3-fold more carnitine than fish receiving 15 mg carnitine. Plasma acyl-carnitine level was affected by an interaction between dietary treatment and exercise (P < 0.05). Adenosine triphosphate and phosphocreatine concentrations were higher in the white muscle (WM) of exercised fish fed the high-carnitine supplements, compared with the low-carnitine fed fish (P < 0.05). Adenilate energy charge indexes were higher and ammonia concentrations were lower in WM of fish fed high-carnitine and high-fat diets. Dietary carnitine supplements may be needed in growing fish when dietary lipid level is high. In that case extra dietary carnitine can maintain the body energy reserves at adequate level when fish is exposed to a short-term, exhaustive exercise, a physiologic stress common both in nature and in intensive aquaculture systems.


2017 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniele Casti ◽  
Christian Scarano ◽  
Maria Cristina Piras ◽  
Paolo Merella ◽  
Sonia Muglia ◽  
...  

Anisakiasis is a gastrointestinal fishborne zoonosis caused by the ingestion of third stage larvae of the genus <em>Anisakis</em>. Between January and December 2013, 1112 specimens of four commercial fish species (<em>Engraulis encrasicolus, Merluccius merluccius, Scomber colias</em> and <em>Trachurus mediterraneus</em>) marketed in Sardinia (Italy) were examined for <em>Anisakis</em> sp. The overall prevalence of <em>Anisakis</em> spp larvae was 39.9%, all morphologically identified as Type I. <em>Scomber colias</em> showed the highest prevalence (100%), followed by <em>M. merluccius</em> (Atlantic 91.0%, Mediterranean 71.2%), <em>T. mediterraneus</em> (32.7%) and <em>E. encrasicolus</em> (25.9%). All the larvae found in Mediterranean hosts were genetically identified as <em>Anisakis pegreffii</em>, whereas 90.0% of the larvae found in the Atlantic <em>M. merluccius</em> belonged to <em>Anisakis simplex sensu stricto</em> and 10.0% to <em>A. pegreffii</em>. The mean abundance of <em>Anisakis</em> sp. larvae was positively correlated with fish size in <em>E. encrasicolus</em>, Atlantic <em>M. merluccius</em> and local <em>M. merluccius</em>. The prevalence of infection was greater in the body cavity (37.9%) than in the edible muscle (9.4%). However, 1.8% of the examined fish were infected exclusively in the muscle. Therefore, the risk associated to the consumption of raw or undercooked fishery products poses the need of measures such as visual inspection and preventive treatments to guarantee consumers’ health.


2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Eraldo L Zanella

The freezing/thawing process of spermatozoa can cause cellular damage to the male gamete, decreasing the fertilization potential due to the increase in the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Melatonin is a potent endogenous antioxidant that protects the body against the damage caused by ROS. This study has evaluated different melatonin concentrations on the sperm viability of cryopreserved semen of Crioulo stallions. For that, three ejaculates were collected from five stallions diluted in a commercial extender followed by centrifugation and resuspension in a commercial freezing extender supplemented with 0; 1.25; 2.5. 5mM of Melatonin before the cryopreservation process. After thawing, the evaluation was performed assessing motility and flow cytometry evaluations: the plasma membrane integrity (PI), the integrity of the acrosomal membrane (FITC-PNA), mitochondrial membrane potential (JC1), and ROS generation (DCF-DA). Our results showed that sperm motility in the group without Melatonin and the 1.25mM group did not show the difference; however, the groups 2.5mM and 5mM presented a reduction in sperm motility. The 1.25 mM concentration was able to protect the plasma membrane during the cryopreservation process, in addition to showing a significant reduction in the production of ROS and increasing the percentage of sperm with integral acrosome. It can also be seen that high concentrations of Melatonin did not show beneficial effects. In conclusion, the addition of 1.25 mM of the Melatonin in Crioulo sperm cells showed to have a protective effect on the sperm cell during cryopreservation.


1946 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 47-70 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. D. SMYTH

A technique has been elaborated that enabled the plerocercoid larvae of Schistocephalus solidus to be removed from the body cavity of Gasterosteus aculeatus without bacterial contamination. Larvae were cultured in plugged test-tubes under completely aseptic conditions in a variety of balanced salines, glucose salines and nutrient peptone broth. The most successful results were obtained with peptone broth at room temperatures (16-19° C) in which plerocercoids remained active and showed normal behaviour for periods up to 300 days. In ¾ strength Locke's solution, which was found by experiment to be approximately isotonic with Schistocephalus (δ = -0.44 ± 0.02° C), the mean period of normal behaviour was 114 days. In the remaining saline and saline-glucose media, the mean viability and period of normal behaviour was considerably less. In the plerocercoid, histological examination revealed that the genitalia are in an immature condition. During cultivation at room temperatures, the genitalia remained in this undifferentiated condition and showed no signs of undergoing spermatogenesis, oogenesis or vitellogenesis. Plerocercoids were induced to develop into sexually mature adults by raising the temperature of cultivation in peptone broth to 40° C. (i.e. the body temperature of the final host in the natural life cycle). Oviposition took place after 48-60 hr. at this temperature, and histological examination revealed that spermatogenesis, oogenesis, vitellogenesis and shell formation had taken place in a normal manner. The viability of artificially matured Schistocephalus was 4-6 days in vitro--a period equivalent to the viability of the adult in vivo. The eversion of the cirris was observed in each proglottid after 40 hr. cultivation at 40° C. During the sexual process the cirris everted and invaginated at the rate of about once per second. Cross-fertilization between segments of the same worm or with segments of another worm was not observed. Except for one specimen in ¾ strength Locke's solution which underwent spermatogenesis and partial vitellogenesis, larvae cultured in salines or glucose salines at 40° C. died within 1-3 days without further development. Attempts to hatch out the eggs produced by the cultivation of larvae in peptone broth at 40° C. proved unsuccessful. Histological examination revealed that spermatozoa had not been taken into the vagina. It was concluded that the eggs were not fertilized owing to the failure of normal copulation to take place.


2011 ◽  
Vol 49 (No. 7) ◽  
pp. 297-306 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Brzuska ◽  
J. Kouřil ◽  
J. Adamek ◽  
Z. Stupka ◽  
V. Bekh

The results of reproduction were tested in females of the African catfish (Clarias gariepinus Burchell 1822) after stimulation of ovulation with carp pituitary (4 mg/kg body weight) or with Lecirelin (15 &mu;g/kg) and metoclopramide (10 mg/kg). After administering the synthetic substance eggs were obtained from all females while in the group treated with pituitary homogenate 7 out of 8 hypophysed females spawned. The applied spawning agent did not significantly influence the weight of eggs expressed in grams, but in the case of females treated with carp pituitary homogenate a significantly higher weight of eggs expressed as the percentage of body weight of fish was recorded. The applied stimulators of ovulation did not affect any trait reflecting the quality of eggs. Females used as an experimental material belonged to two categories in respect of body weight: lighter females with average body weight of 2.63 &plusmn; 0.36 kg and heavier females with average body weight of 3.91 &plusmn; 0.48 kg. It was proved that the weight of eggs expressed either in grams or as a percentage of a female&rsquo;s weight was significantly related to the body weight of a female (P &le; 0.01 and P &le; 0.05, respectively), as well as the percentage of fertilised eggs and the percentage of living embryos after 28 hours of incubation (P &le; 0.05 and P &le; 0.05, respectively). The interaction between the stimulator of ovulation and the female body weight was significant only for traits reflecting the weight of obtained eggs (P &le; 0.05 and P &le; 0.01). &nbsp;


Author(s):  
Dada Adekunle Ayokanmi ◽  
Elemuo Chioma Cynthia ◽  
Oke Israel Opeyemi

Aims: To examine the dietary effects of Prunus amygdalus dulcis seed meal on the sperm quality of male African Catfish (Clarias gariepinus). Place and Duration of Study: The experiment was carried out at the Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture Technology Teaching and Research Farm, The Federal University of Technology, Akure for a period of 70 days. Methodology: Five diets with crude protein of 40% were formulated with different inclusion levels of P. amygdalus dulcis seed powder. D1 (control) has 0 g of the powder, while D2, D3, D4 and D5 has 5, 10, 15 and 20 g of the P. amygdalus dulcis seed powder in 100 g of feed respectively. A total of 45 C. gariepinus were randomly distributed into 15 concrete tanks (2×2×1.5 m) at stocking density of 3 fish per tank and constant water level of 1 m was maintained in the experimental tanks. The fish were fed at 3% of body weight twice a day between 08.00-09.00 and 16.00-17.00 hours for a period of 70 days. At the end of the 70-day experiment, gonadosomatic index and reproductive indices such as milt volume, motility duration, spermatozoa count, percentage motility, percentage fertilization, percentage hatchability and percentage survival of fry were determined. The qualities of the milt were assessed by aid of microscope and by fertility tests. Histological examination of the testes of fish fed each of the diets was also carried out. Results: Fish fed experimental diets showed significantly improved gonado-somatic index and reproductive indices over the control treatment. Higher gonado-somatic index and reproductive indices were recorded for the fish fed diet of 20 g/kg P. amygdalus dulcis seed powder compared to other experimental diets. Conclusion: The results indicated that supplementing diets with P. amygdalus dulcis seed powder enhanced growth and improved gonadosomatic index, and reproductive indices of male C. gariepinus broodstocks which can be exploited in fish seeds production.


2009 ◽  
Vol 28 (12) ◽  
pp. 759-764
Author(s):  
Oyeyemi Adeyemi ◽  
Olalekan Adeyemi ◽  
Chris C Osubor

In this study, African Catfish (Clarias gariepinus) were cultured in water contaminated with phthalate, benzene and cyclohexane (10 μg/mL), respectively, over a period of 65 days. They were, thereafter, used as protein source to formulate feed for albino rats (Wistar strain) for 28 days. The weights of the body and selected tissues of the rats were monitored and standard enzyme assays were conducted for some enzymes in the serum. Results showed that rats in cyclohexane group gained 58% whereas the control group gained 46% of body weight. Liver weight (absolute and relative) of test rats were found to be significantly lower than that of control (p < .05). Enzyme activity of serum of test rats was found to be significantly higher than that of control (p < .05). Experimental evidence suggests leakage of enzymes from the liver to the serum, thus the elevated serum enzyme activity and that the contaminants may damage the liver.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document