Channel Catfish Pituitary for use as a Spawning Aid in Aquaculture

The channel x blue hybrid catfish has been documented as a superior animal for use by the catfish industry. To produce the hybrid a hormnone is used to help ovulate the eggs so they can be stripped from the female. Once the eggs are stripped from the female they are fertilized with sperm from the blue catfish and hatched in a manner sililar to channel catfish eggs. Carp pituitary has been used successfully for many years as a spawning aid for catfish. It is very expensive and is produced by a company that depends on commercial fishing to provide the carp. Some years there is a good suppy and other years it is in short supply. Under limited testing, catfish pituitary has been proven to be as effective as Carp pituitary. This project will attemp to optimize the use of this product. Utilizing the catfish pituitary will also provide additional income for the processing plant.