Abstract:

Aquaculture's contribution towards food fish for human consumption is predicted to increase sharply.
In this regard, food fish production either through domestication of new indigenous species or farming
of already farmed species in new areas has to play a key role in order to meet the desired production
targets. Therefore, the overall objective of this study is the generation of knowledge contributing
towards artificial propagation and larviculture as part of domestication of local freshwater fish species
(P. aethiopicus and B. docmak) for aquaculture, ultimately allowing for further experiments on the
production of fingerlings at a commercial level.
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Finally, the General Discussion (Chapter 6) reviews, integrates and discusses these results within a
larger scientific context and within the context of practical field application. The referred section also
provides potential perspectives to future research. In summary, we showed the potential of using
diluted saline water from Lake Bunyampaka for successful culture of A. franciscana. We demonstrated
the ontogeny of the gastrointestinal tract in African lungfish larvae. Our results revealed the presence
of 3 coils in the spiral valve intestine by 24 DPH and the absence of a stomach in this fish species. In
order to further evaluate the potential of these saline lakes for Artemia production, bucket and tank
trials should be carried out to assess Artemia performance at either the same salinities or different
salinities before field pond trials are carried out. Also, research focusing on other enzymatic activities
of leucine aminopeptidase (lap) and alkaline phosphatase (alp); intestinal brush-border enzymes
located at the brush border membrane should also be carried out in order to give a complete picture
of the digestive enzyme expression. A better understanding of the timing and physiology of digestion
in P. aethiopicus should help in the formulation and deployment of inert feeds for this species under
aquaculture. Our work is thus a first step towards the successful culture of Artemia in brines from local
saline lakes located in Western Uganda. It's also a first step in the domestication and farming of
African lungfish.