Inbreeding depression results from the mating of closely related individuals which causes reduced biological fitness. Intraspecific hybridization leads to the production of fry and fingerlings that exhibit faster growth rates and better environmental tolerance. There is need to rely on selective breeding and hybridization for the improvement of genetic resources in aquaculture.
This study set out to investigate the reproductive success of Clarias gariepinus and the potential effects of inbreeding depression within aquaculture systems in Cameroon. The experiment was carried out in the laboratory and lasted for a period of 10 days involving two strains of Clarias gariepinus from river Nyong in Yaounde and river Mapé in Foumban. Fertilization was completely randomized with 4 crossing combinations.