In spite of no significant difference between food items consumed by African magur and Asian Clarias species (Thakur and Das, 1986; Janssen, 1987.) taste of African and Asian species differ. The Asian consumers prefer the taste of local species.
To combine the favorable taste of Asian magur and rapid growth of African one, hybrid of C.macrocephalus (O) and C.gariepinus (O) is produced in Thailand in commercial scale. Taste of hybrid is similar to C. macrocephalus, but the growth is better, though slower than that of African catfish (I.Csavas, personal information). Information on sexual development of hybrid fish are not unanimous. Some Thai fish culturists claim that the hybrid is fertile, though others observed sterility (P. Tavarutmaneedul, personal information). Intermediate manifestation of external features and growth was observed in hybrid of C. fuscus and C. gariepinus in China (Wembiao et al., 1988).
Considering above mentioned facts the hybridization of African magur and C. batrachus was attemted in Bangladesh. Only low percentage of hybrid of African magur female and local magur male was viable. As quantity of eggs in Asian catfis is very low, large scale production of hybryd from Asian catfish female and African male is difficult. Though no statistically acceptable comparison of hybrids was carried out, it was observed that the external features of crossbred fish are similar to those of the males used for fertilization. Growth of hybrid fish is intermediate.
