A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF GROWTH, METABOLISM AND DIGESTIVE ENZYME ACTIVITIES OF PINEALECTOMIZED AND NON-PINEALECTOMIZED CATFISH (HETEROPNEUSTES FOSSILIS)

A 60 days experiment was done to find out the importance of melatonin hormone dose on growth and metabolism of pinealectomized and non-pinealectomized catfish Heteropneustes fossilis. Experimental fish were fed with laboratory prepared formulated feed. All the experimental fish were having the mean body weight of 5-20 g was divided into two groups, pinealectomized and non-pinealectomized. Each group has two replicates. Melatonin injection of 25 and 50 mg were given to both the groups. Results of the present study indicated that Melatonin injected catfish of non-pinealectomized group shows maximum growth as compared to catfish received melatonin in pinealectomized group. The specific growth rate (SGR) and protein efficiency ratio (PER) values were higher in non-pinealectomized catfish as compared to pinealectomized catfish. However, the FCR valued were increased in melatonin received pinealectomized group as compared to melatonin administered non-pinealectomized group of catfish. The biometric indexes, hepatosomatic index (HSI) and viscerosomatic index (VSI) recorded maximum in pinealectomized fish as compared to non-pinealectomized catfish. Also, the digestive enzyme activities (protease, amylase, cellulase and lipase) were increased in melatonin administered non-pinealectomized catfish as compared melatonin injected pinealectomized catfish. The value for glycogen content in muscle was recorded higher in melatonin receiving pinealectomized fishes however the glycogen content in liver shows maximum values in melatonin receiving non-pinealectomized catfish. The results of this experiment showed that melatonin administered non-pinealectomized fish resulted in an increased growth, metabolism and digestive enzyme activities as compared to melatonin receiving pinealectomized catfish