Effects of various dietary fats on the cellular structure of ovary in threatened Asian catfish (Clarias batrachus, Linnaeus, 1758)

Various fats in the diets were mixed to assess their impact on the cellular structures of ovarian tissues of threatened Asian catfish (Clarias batrachus). Six treatments diets (FISOL, BETAL, SOYAL, LINOL, MIXOL, SATOL and NATFO) with 10% dietary fat containing Fish oil, Tallow, Soybean oil, Linseed oil, Mixed oil (i.e. containing in 1:1:1:1 ratio of Fish oil, Tallow, Soybean oil, Linseed oil), Vegetable oil and minced chicken meat as natural food were used as F1,F2,F3,F4,F5,F6 and F7 respectively, each having three replications, and stocked @ 30 fish with initial av. wt. 55.83 + 3.14g in plastic pools(300 l cap.).The fishes were fed vigorously for 12-weeks with formulated diets and after the termination of experiment, the ovaries of 3 fishes from each treatment were excised and processed for routine histological assessment in ovarian tissues under light microscopy. The ovaries of all the fishes fed different experimental diets had almost similar cellular architecture of the ovarian tissues except some more granulation and dense cytoplasm which indicated that the addition of 10% fats as these ingredients were not harmful to the fish. It was inferred that addition of various fats has a significant positive impact in the ovarian tissues in this species and linseed oil, soybean oil and mixed oil could be safely used for better and/ or better follicular growth and development of ovarian tissues