Fingerlings of Clarias gariepinus (Burchell 1822), locally called African magur, for experimental stocking of ponds was brought to Bangladesh from Thailand at the end of 1989. These fingerlings were stocked in ponds at several government fisheries research institutions and fish farms. They became sexually mature by midsummer of 1990 and were subsequently induced bred. In preliminary trials it was found that the African magur grew very fast in ponds under local conditions and the techniques of induced breeding and rearing of fry have also been found easier than local magur (Clarias batrachus).
This project was asked by the Government to demonstrate suitable grow out techniques of table size African magur production in ponds using locally available cheap feed ingredients.
The relevant literature on the pond culture of African magur gave mainly guidelines for African conditions (Hogendoorn and Koops, 1983; Viveen et al., 1986), culture techniques of catfish in drainable ponds in Thailand (Muir, 1981), and intensive culture techniques (Hogendoorn et al. 1983, and Machiels and Henken, 1987). These technologies were not found suitable to the local conditions for various reasons including the facts that --
as the fish was newly introduced, its culture technique was not tested yet in local conditions;
lack of available sources of protein feed for the fish;
most ponds in Bangladesh are undrainable and lack the facilities for water recirculation/replenishment; and
non-availability of cheap animal protein as fish feed.
The objective of the present study, therefore, was to develop easily applicable production techniques of African magur under Bangladeshi conditions.
