Abstract
Introduction The investigation was performed to compare the influence of using different pituitary gland extract types (dried and fresh) from common carp ( Cyprinus carpio ) and African catfish ( Clarias gariepinus ) on fecundity, sex hormones, and artificial spawning performance of African catfish. Methods Pituitary glands were collected from sixty-four male catfish and sixty-four carp broodstocks to formulate four treatments: dried catfish pituitary gland extract (DPG catfish ), fresh catfish pituitary gland extract (FPG catfish ), dried carp pituitary gland extract (DPG carp ), and fresh carp pituitary gland extract (FPG carp ). Sixteen ripe females (920 to 1190 g) and sixteen ripe males (1060 to 1150 g) with a sex ratio (1:1 male ♂: female ♀) were chosen for each treatment. Results and discussion The highest fecundity and reproductive performance were observed in the DPG catfish -treated group, followed by the DPG carp -treated group. The latency periods were recorded as 12 h for DPG catfish , 17 h for FPG catfish , 12.5 h for DPG carp , and 21 h for FPG carp . DPG catfish treatment significantly improved (P ≤ 0.05) ovulation performance, reproductive output, fertilization and hatching success, and circulating estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone levels. In contrast, both fresh pituitary treatments (catfish and carp) resulted in noticeably lower outcomes. The results indicate that DPG catfish extract consistently outperformed other treatments across all measured spawning parameters, suggesting its effectiveness in enhancing seed production in African catfish aquaculture.