Journal of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine

This study evaluated the feasibility of orchiotomy as an alternative to partial orchiectomy for milt collection in Clarias gariepinus (African catfish) to maintain fertilisation potential. In the partial orchiectomy group, 12 male fish underwent initial surgery where one-third of the testis was removed to extract milt, which was collected in a sterile bottle. Follow-up surgeries were conducted on six males after 30 days and on the remaining six after 40 days to collect additional milt from the remaining two-thirds of the testis. In the orchiotomy group, milt was obtained from 12 males via a small incision at the proximal testicular pole, allowing the milt to be gently expressed. Recollection followed the same 30- and 40-day schedule as the partial orchiectomy group. Milt quality and fertilisation capacity were assessed by using 1 g of eggs per milt sample. At the initial collection (day 0), there were no significant differences in milt volume, sperm concentration, or fertilisation success between the two methods. However, at 30 and 40 days post-surgery, the partial orchiectomy group showed significantly lower (P˂0.05) milt volume, sperm concentration, and fertilisation rate compared to the orchiotomy group, except for fertilisation rate at 40 days, which was not significantly different. Within the partial orchiectomy group, a significant decline (p˂0.05) was observed in milt volume, concentration, and fertilisation potential at 30 and 40 days compared to day 0, with no significant difference between the 30- and 40-day marks. In contrast, the orchiotomy group maintained consistent milt quality across all time points. Overall, orchiotomy proved superior, offering higher milt volume, concentration, and fertilisation success, along with minimal tissue adhesion, no visible scarring, faster healing, and quicker regeneration.