Spawning behaviour of an air-breathing catfish Heteropneustes fossilis (Bloch)

Spawning behavior of H. fossilis was studied by breeding the fish in laboratory through hypophysation using pituitary glands of the Indian major carps (Catla catla and Labeo rohita) at a dose of about 15 mg/100 g body weight of the recipient. The spawning activity started about 6 to 10 hr after the administration of pituitary injection. The activity lasted 2 to 6 hr in various experiments. During this period, intermittent mating acts were observed, the average rate of mating being once every 2 to 3 min in the initial stages and 5 to 10 min or even longer in the later ones.