On-farm and on-station comparison of wild and domesticated Cameroonian populations of Oreochromis niloticus

Wild (Sanaga River) and domesticated populations of Oreochromis niloricus were compared on-farm and on-station in the Central Province of Cameroon to determine the degree to which genetic deterioration of stocks may have occurred during the process of domestication and subsequent breeding. On-station, average weight at harvest was 284.3 +/- 16.2 and 178.1 +/- 9.9 g for Sanaga and domesticated populations, respectively. On-station specific growth rate was 0.0660 +/- 0.0022 and 0.0555 +/- 0.0016 g/day for Sanaga and domesticated populations, respectively. On-station standing stock at harvest was 5747.3 +/- 624.4 and 4170.3 +/- 233.4 kg/ha for Sanaga and domesticated populations, respectively. Differences in average weight at harvest and specific growth rate on-station are significant at P < 0.003. Differences in standing stock at harvest on-station are significant at P < 0.015. On-farm, average weight at harvest was 121.1 +/- 26.5 and 87.5 +/- 17.2 g for Sanaga and domesticated populations, respectively. On-farm specific growth rate was 0.0442 +/- 0.0051 and 0.0358 +/- 0.0047 g/day for Sanaga and domesticated populations respectively. On-farm standing stock at harvest was 2454.2 +/- 445.6 and 1667.8 +/- 352.2 kg/ha for Sanaga and domesticated populations, respectively. Differences in average weight at harvest on-farm are significant at P<0.05. Differences in specific growth rate on-farm are significant at P<0.04. Differences in standing stock at harvest on-farm are significant at P<0.015. The Sanaga River population consistently out-performed the domesticated population. Final individual weight of domesticated fish averaged 39% less than wild fish on-station and 42% less than wild fish on-farm. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.