Author(s): Okey IB

Abstract: This study investigated the anaesthetic effects of clove (Eugenia caryophylatta) powder on immobilization and survival in different life stages of Clarias gariepinus. Four hundred and fifty (450) fish comprising of 150 each of mean weight: fingerlings (6.54 ± 3.25g), juveniles (15.06 ± 2.50g) and adults (32.10 ± 4.30g) were used for the study. The fish were exposed to 100, 120, 140, 160 and 180mg/l of the anaesthetic prepared from a stock solution of 200mg/l of the clove powder. Ten (10) fish each were use per tank in triplicate for each life stage. The time to attain various stages of anaesthesia and recovery was noted and recorded. Mortality for each life stage was also recorded. Some water quality parameters were monitored and recorded. The powder was observed to cause anaesthesia which was dependent on the concentration and sizes of the exposed fish. The time to attain deep anaesthesia (stage A3) decreased with increasing concentration in all the life stages but longer in adults than juveniles and fingerlings. The shorter the time to achieve stage A3 the longer the time to be fully recovered. The relationship of the time taken to achieve deep anaesthesia and regained full recovery is significantly (P<0.05) dependent on the concentration of clove, with total recovery time inversely proportional to the total time to attained deep anaesthesia. The survival rates of 86.67 and 96.67% were recorded for fingerlings and juveniles respectively in higher concentrations of the anaesthetic while in the adults was 100%. The study revealed that clove bud can effectively be ultilized as anaesthetics agent in C. gariepinus at optimal dose of 160mg/l.

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