Sex hormones changes in blood and their effect on fecundity of African catfish (Clarias gariepinus Burchell, 1822) after being injected with different doses of human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) hormone

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of different doses injection of human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) hormone on fecundity and serum sex hormones (FSH, LH, estrogen (E2), progesterone (P4), testosterone (T)) of African catfish (Clarias gariepinus). African catfish spawners were intermuscularly injected with different doses of HCG (500, 1500, 3000, 6000 IU/kg female), and group is not injected as a control; males were injected at half the female dose. The results showed that, fish group injected by 6000 IU HCG/ kg female had the highest gonadsomatic index, absolute fecundity and relative fecundity, while, the lowest value of absolute fecundity and relative fecundity were recorded with 500 IU HCG/ kg female. The group injected with the highest amount of HCG (6000 IU/ kg female) recorded the lowest value from egg diameter, while the highest egg diameter was observed in 500 IU HCG/ kg female. In females, the group injected with 6000 IU HCG/ kg female reflected the lowest level of FSH and the highest level of LH and the highest level of P4 compared to other treatments. Level of T recorded the highest level with 1500 IU HCG/ kg female. The control group reflected the highest level of FSH and E2, while the control group reflected the lowest level of T and P4 level. In males, serum FSH, LH, P4 and E2 in male groups injected with HCG were relatively higher than those recorded in the control group. The highest level of T was recorded in treatment injected with the highest dose of HCG and decreased in other treatments until recorded the lowest level of T in the control group. It was observed, HCG hormone has successfully and accelerate induced spawning in African catfish (Clarias gariepinus) and increased in reproductive performance with the increase in HCG dosage and as compared to group not injected.