Abstract

Aim: The aim of this study is to evaluate the effects of anaesthesia with mustard seed extracts in three sizes: fingerlings, juvenile and adult of C. gariepinus.

Method and Materials: A total of 180 specimens of C. gariepinus comprising of 60 each of fingerlings (mean length 6.87cm±1.54 SD and mean weight 10.23g±123SD); juveniles (mean length 17.78cm±2.88 SD and mean weight 106.99g±4.78SD), and adults (mean length 29.33cm±3.01 SD and mean weight 654.43g±11.89SD), were procured from Production Ponds in African Regional Aquaculture Centre, (ARAC), Aluu, Rivers State of Nigeria. They were exposed to mustard seed extracts at different concentrations of 10.00, 20.00, 30.00, 40.00 and 50.00mg/L.

Results: The results obtained indicated a size related response to mustard seed extracts. The induction time decreased significantly (P < 0.05) as the concentrations of the mustard seed extracts increased. The recovery time for all the three sizes 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.

Conclusion: The revealed that mustard seed can effectively induce anaesthetics in fish with the optimum dosage of 10.0mg/L; 20mg/l and 30.0mg/L for fingerlings, juveniles and adult sizes respectively.

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