A Study on Induced Breeding and Early Embryonic Development of the Tengara Catfish, Mystus tengara (Hamilton, 1822) in Captivity

This study presented the first comprehensive report on the induced breeding and embryonic development of Mystus tengara. Matured brooders were induced with synthetic hormone (GONOPRO-FH) at a dosage of 0.5ml/ kg body weight for males and 1ml/ kg body weight for females in each trial. The trial conducted at a water temperature of 29ºC yielded the highest fertilization rate of 84% and hatching rate of 93% among the three trials. The fertilized eggs were 0.5mm in diameter, spherical, transparent, and highly adhesive. The zygote stage extended up to 00:15 hour post fertilization (hpf), followed by cleavage stage (00:15-01:20 hpf), blastula stage (01:40-03:25 hpf), gastrula stage (03:45- 05:24 hpf), segmentation stage (08:20-12:27 hpf) and pharyngula stage (13:09˗14:10 hpf). Hatching occurs at 15:00 hpf, resulting in larvae with an average length of 1.62mm. The outcomes of this study hold significant implications for commercial fish farmers and breeders, facilitating the production of superior-quality seeds at reduced expenses. Furthermore, these findings contribute to both species’ conservation efforts and advancements in species taxonomy.