Manual for Production of Live Feed (Moina) for African Catfish Fry

Abstract

The African catfish (Clarias gariepinus) is a commercially farmed fish in Uganda, second in importance after the Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus). This catfish has gained rapid popularity in aquaculture because of its faster growth and higher pond yields attaining average weight of over one kg with pond yields as high as 3.0 kg/m2 in six months compared to an average weight of 500g and pond yields of 1.2 kg/m2 for the Nile tilapia. The estimated 20,000 t annual production of Uganda's catfish is mostly exported to the regional market. Production of this tonnage requires estimated 30m catfish fingerlings. Moreover, there already exists an unsatisfied annual demand for an estimated 170m catfish juveniles used as bait in the Nile perch fishery. This has led to invasion of the wetland fishery to capture juvenile catfish. The trade in catfish fingerlings and juveniles is estimated to be worth at least UGX 40b/= (at a unit price ofUGX 200/= per fingerling/juveniIe,1 USD =UGX 2650). A major obstacle to increasing farmed catfish production in Uganda is absence of starter feed in commercial catfish hatcheries. Three days after hatching, catfish larvae and fry feed on live feed in form of small (microscopic) water fleas (Moina). Catfish hatcheries generally lack technologies for producing live feed. This results in high mortalities of fry and fingerlings in catfish hatcheries.