ISSN: 2577-4050
Authors: Abu OMG*, Ayaobu-Cookey IK and Okoye Oti CO
The use of botanicals to replace as anaesthetics in fish is gaining momentum in recent years. This study was carried out to determine the efficacy of Nutmeg (Myristica fragrans) as anaesthetics in three life stages of African catfish (Clarias gariepinus). A total of 180 specimens of C. gariepinus were procured from Production Ponds in African Regional Aquaculture Centre, (ARAC), Aluu, and Rivers State of Nigeria. They were exposed to nut Meg extracts at different concentrations of 4.00, 6.00, 8.00, 10.00 and 12.00mg/L. The results obtained indicated a size related responses to nut Meg extracts. The induction time decreased significantly (P<0.05) as the concentrations of the nut Meg extracts increased. The highest induction time (15.08±0.04 min) was recorded in adult fish at 12.00mlL-1. While the lowest (3.18±0.06 min) was recorded in fingerlings at 4.00mlL However, the longest recovery time (11.59±0.06 min) was observed in the adult fish at 12.00 mg/l and the shortest (1.13±0.02) in fingerlings at 4.00mg/l of the nut Meg extracts. The recovery time for all the life stages generally increased as the concentrations of the anaesthetics increased. Also, the recovery times in adult fish were higher at all concentrations; this was closely followed by juvenile fish, while the shortest recovery time was observed in fingerlings in all concentrations of exposure. This trend followed the pattern of typical fish anaesthetics in terms of induction time and recovery time.
Keywords: Anasethetics; Catfish; Aquaculture; Nut Meg; Stress
