INDUCED BREEDING
History of Induced breeding
• The technique of induced breeding was first evolved in Argentina after
producing pituitary extract by Houssay 1930 where viviparous fish was
injected with the hormone to make premature birth.
• In the year of 1934, Brazilians were succeeded in induced breeding by
pituitary extract.
• This technique was also followed in America (Merlin & Hubs) and in
Russia (Gerebilisky).
• In India first attempt of induced breeding was made by Khan in 1937 on
Cirrhinus mrigala.
• Later in 1955 Dr. Hiralal Choudhuri applied this technique in minor carps
(Esomus danricus, Pseudeotropius atherinoides).
• Ramaswamy and Sunderaraj first induced to breed Clarias batrachus &
Heteropneustes fossilis.
• The first successful induced breeding on major carps was done by Dr.
Hiralal Choudhuri 1957– Cirrhinus mrigala, C. reba, & Labeo rohita.
• Parameswaran & Alikuni successfully bred the exotic Chinese carps –
Hypophthalmichthys molitrix & Ctenopharyngodon idella in 1963.
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Why induced breeding is necessary?
• Induced breeding gives very promising result in fishery point of view
due to:
• It gives pure spawn of certain species of fishes under
cultivation.
• Spawn collected from natural water is not pure as because some
undesirable wild species may come with them in culture pond.
• Sorting of pure seed is quite impossible or time consuming.
• It assures timely available of pure seed, where as in nature the
availability of seed is quite uncertain.
• It can fulfill any quantity of demand in any time.
• The technique is very simple and does not need too much
technical assistance or knowledge.
• It can be easily learnt by a layman.
• The cost of expenditure is very low than the natural collections
of spawns.
Why induced breeding is necessary?
• Many cultural farm fishes like IMC do not breed in
captivity.
• The reason may be environmental and consequently
hormonal.
• Certain environmental parameters like current of
water, temperature and rain influence the hormonal
activity from pituitary and gonads.
• In a fish hatchery, although, the necessities like
running water supply, appropriate temperature and
DO are supplied, but a specific inducing agent is also
required to start breeding process.
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Induced breeding
• Induced breeding is a technique whereby ripe
fish breeders are stimulated by pituitary
hormone or any other synthetic hormone
introduction to breed in captive condition.
• The stimulation promotes timely release of
sperms and eggs.
Hypophysation
• The hypophysation or injection of pituitary extract is
one of the techniques employed to induce breed fish.
• This involves removing the hypophysis (pituitary
gland) from a donor, its preparation and injection into
another mature fish (female or male) to assist final
maturation and spawning.
• Removing
• Grinding finely using a micro-pestle
• Centrifugation at approximately 1-2K RPM for
about a minute
• Injected via the intramuscular route in the
anterior caudal region
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INSTRUMENTS FOR GLAND EXTRACT
PREPARATION- REMOVAL OF PITUITARY
GLAND
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OVAPRIM
• In hypophysation, a large numbers of fish were
sacrificed to collect PG.
• Success rate was not so good.
• Thus, other hormones were also tested.
• From last few years, a synthetic hormone, OVAPRIM,
is used to breed almost all types of cultureable fish.
• Ovaprim is a combination of LHRH-A and the dopamine
antagonist.
• Dopamine antagonists are used for ceasation of dopamine activity which acts
as an inhibitory factor for the synthesis of gonadotropin.
• Ovaprim has been tested successfully on a wide range
of fresh, salt and brackish water species.
• It has been found to be very fruitful in the aquarium
fish industry.
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Advantages of Ovaprim
• It reduces the loss incurred due to spawning failure
resulting from poor quality of glands.
• Ovaprim being in ready-to-use form, appears to be
more convenient and can be easily adopted in carp
seed production.
• Rates of spawning, fertilization and hatching and
survival has been reported to be much higher than
pituitary extract.
• Refrigeration of the solution is not required and it
has a long shelf life.
Selection of Brood Stock
• Proper selection of brooders are the key of success in case of
induced breeding.
• The breeders should be healthy, fully ripe and of medium
sized.
• They should preferably come into the age group ranging from
2 – 4yrs and have the weight of 1 – 5kgs.
• The male shows roughness on pectoral fins when belly pressed
milt freely oozes out.
• The ripe female shows relatively smooth pectoral fins and
operculum.
• The eggs are released when the belly is pressed smoothly in female.
• The belly of ripe female is generally soft and round or budged.
• The vent is swollen, protruding and pinkish in colour.
• Brooders are transferred to the breeding circular tanks.
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Recommended Dose of Ovaprim
Species Female (ml/kg) Male (ml/kg)
Catla catla 0.5 0.1
Labeo rohita 0.3 - 0.4 0.1
Cirrhinus mrigala 0.3 - 0.4 0.1
Silver carp 0.6 - 0.7 0.1-0.2
Grass carp 0.6 - 0.7 0.1-0.2
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Hormonal injection
• Before injecting the hormonal dose, anaesthetic (MS
222) is used.
• The dose of the hormone is calculated in relation to
the weight of the brooders to be injected.
• Ovaprim-C is administered into the body of breeders
by means of syringe.
• Male brooders of Hypophthalmichthys molitrix are injected
a dose of Ovaprim-C 0.2 mL/kg and females 0.6 mL/kg, in a
single dose.
• Quantity to be injected (ml) = weight of brood fish (kg) x dosage of ovaprim-C
• Brooders (Male and Females) are released into
circular tanks with running water.
Estrus
• After 8-10 hours, brooders shows estrus.
• Estrus is restlessness of female
• Its abdomen and tail become extremely constricted,
• It is indicated by the intermittent splashing on the water
surface as males chases the female.
• This lasts for 30 to 60 minutes.
• After that fish were netted out for stripping.
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Stripping
• The female fish is held with its head slanting upwards
and tail down and belly facing the vessel, and the eggs
are collected into a plastic tub by pressing the belly
portion of the female.
• The male fish is then similarly held and milt is
squeezed out into the same tub.
• The gametes are then mixed as soon as possible by
means of a bird feather to allow fertilization.
• The fertilized eggs are then washed a few times with
clean water to remove excess milt and allowed to stay
undisturbed in freshwater for about 30 minutes.
• The eggs are then ready for release into the hatching
tanks.
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Hatching
• Hatching occur after 18-22 hours at water
temperature 20-25°C
• Hatchling are kept in circular spawning tanks with
bolting cloth for three days until yolk is absorbed.
• After that, post larvae are shifted into the nursery
ponds.
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