FAO Handbook

HANDBOOK ON THE ARTIFICIAL REPRODUCTION AND
POND REARING OF THE AFRICAN CATFISH CLARIAS
GARIEPINUS IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA
A handbook

FAO FISHERIES TECHNICAL PAPER 362

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HANDBOOK ON THE ARTIFICIAL REPRODUCTION AND
POND REARING OF THE AFRICAN CATFISH CLARIAS
GARIEPINUS IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA

A Handbook

By

Gertjan DE GRAAF and Johannes JANSSEN
NEFISCO FOUNDATION
AMSTERDAM, THE NETHERLANDS

FAO, FISHERIES TECHNICAL PAPER 362
ROME, 1996

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The designation employed and the presentation of material in this document do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the United Nations or the Food and
Agriculture Organization of the United Nations concerning the legal or constitutional status concerning the legal or constitutional status of any country, territory or sea, city or area, or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.

M-44
ISBN 92-5-103916

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PREPARATION OF THIS DOCUMENT
The African catfish, Clarias gariepinus has been reared for almost 20 years in Africa with mixed success; the total farm production of this species being only 3,978 metric tonnes or
7.4% of the total farmed fish production of 69,434 mt in Africa in 1994. To a large extent the poor performance of this freshwater fish species in Africa has been due to the absence of reliable production techniques for the reproduction and rearing of the species under practical farming conditions
The document is based on the practical field experience of
Gertjan de Graaf and Johannes Janssen on the artificial reproduction and rearing of the African catfish within FAO field projects in the Central African Republic, The Republic of
Congo, Kenya and Nigeria. The manual has been written by the authors as a practical guide for the reproduction and pond rearing of the African catfish, based on methods which have proven to be successful and reliable in the field
The manual was edited by Dr. A.G.J.

References: ADCP, Aquaculture Development and Co-ordination Programme, 1983 Amlacher, E., 1970. Textbook of fish diseases. T.F.H. Anonymous, 1981. A handbook of diseases of cultured Clarias (pla duk) in Thailand Anonymous, 1987a. Les priorités pour la recherche aquicole en Afrique Anonymous, 1987b. Thematic evaluation of Aquaculture. Boonbrahm, M., Tarnchalanukit, W., and Suraniranat, P., (1977) Boulenger, G.A., 1911, 1911. Catalogue of freshwater fishes of Africa in the British Museum (Natural History) 2, London, Bruton, M.N., 1979a. The breeding biology and early development of Clarias gariepinus (Pisces, clariidae) in lake Bruton, M.N., 1979b. The food and feeding behaviour of Clarias gariepinus (Pisces, Clariidae) in lake Sibaya, south Campbell, D., Obuya, S. and M. Spoo, 1995. A simple method for small scale propagation of Clarias gariepinus in Clay, D., 1979. Population biology, growth and feeding of the African catfish, Clarias gariepinus, with special reference to C.T.F.T, 1972. Premieres directives pour l 'introduction de Clarias lazera en pisciculture David, L., 1935. Die entwicklung der clariiden und ihre Verbreitung El Bollock, A.R., 1976. Rearing of the nile catfish, Clarias lazera to marketable size in Egyptian experimental ponds. de Graaf, G.J., 1989. La reproduction artificielle et l 'alevinage de Clarias gariepinus au centre de production d 'alevins de de Graaf, G.J., Galemoni, F. and Banzoussi, B., 1995. The artificial reproduction and fingerling de Graaf, G.J., Galemoni, F. and Banzoussi, B. 1996. Recruitment control of Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus, by the African catfish, Clarias gariepinus (Burchell 1822) and, Groenewald, A.A.v.J., 1964. Observations on the food habits of Clarias gariepinus Burchell, the South African freshwater Hecht, T. and Lublinkhof, W., 1985. Clarias gariepinus x Heterobranchus longifilis (Clariidae: Pisces): A new species Hecht, T., Uys, W. and Britz, P.J., 1988. The culture of sharptooth catfish Clarias gariepinus Hecht, T. and Appelbaum, S., 1988. Observations on intraspecific aggression and coeval sibling cannibalism by Hogendoorn, H. and Wieme, R., 1976. Preliminary results concerning the culture of Clarias lazera in Cameroon Hogendoorn, H., 1979. Controlled propagation of the African catfish, Clarias lazera (C&V) Hogendoorn, H., 1980. Controlled propagation of the African catfish, Clarias lazera (C&V) Hogendoorn, H., and Vismans, M.M., 1980. Controlled