An Investigation Into the Food and Feeding Ecology of a Potential Aquaculture Candidate, Sarotherodon Galilaeus Multifasciatus in a Meteoritic Crater Lake in Ghana

An investigation into the food and feeding ecology of the cichlid, Sarotherodon Galilaeus Multifasciatus in a tropical meteoritic lake in Ghana was undertaken. Stomachs of the fishes, at two length classes, representing adults and juveniles, were examined and the food items identified. The juveniles of Sarotherodon galilaeus multifasciatus feed mainly on insect and insect larvae and relatively small quantities of diatoms but avoiding macrophytes. A striking feature in the composition of juvenile diet was the considerable quantities of ingested sand, which constituted about 16% of stomach contents. Ingested sand may be helpful in maceration of food in the pyloric stomach. A sandy substratum may, therefore, appear ecologically important for juveniles of the species. Adult stomachs contained mainly phytoplankton, chironomid and insect larvae with no ingested sand. No significant differences were found in the stomach contents of the fishes for the dry and wet seasons due, partly, to the lack of any considerable seasonal differences in allochthonous inputs into the lake waters. The fishes exploit a wide range of food resources in the open, sub-littoral and littoral zones of the lake. Further studies to include growth and recruitment are recommended to enhance future production of the species under culture conditions

Growth performance of the African catfish, Clarias gariepinus , fed varying inclusion levels of Leucaena leucocephala leaf meal

The efficacy of treated Leucaena leucocephala leaf meal as an ingredient in diet of the African catfish, Clarias gariepinus , of mean weight 40.18\ub10.51g was evaluated over a 90-day growth period. Four experimental diets were formulated at 0% (control), 10%, 20% and 30% inclusion levels of treated Leucaena leaf meal. Leaves were treated by soaking in water for 3 days and sun-drying for another 3 days. A control diet of fish meal with fish meal serving as the only protein source was formulated. All diets were isonitrogenous (30% protein). The 90-day feeding experiment was conducted in concrete tanks, each treatment having three replicates. Fish fed 20% Leucaena leaf meal recorded the best growth performance in body weight gain and Specific Growth Rate (SGR), although the best Feed conversion Ration (FCR) was recorded for fish fed on the control diet of 0% Leucaena meal. There were no significant differences between fish fed the control diet and the other experimental (P>0.05). The study demonstrated that Leucaeana leucocephala leaf meal may be included in the diets of Clarias gariepinus at inclusion levels of up to 30% but it is efficacious and cost effective at 20% inclusion level. It is, therefore, recommended that Leucana leucocephala leaf meal be used to partially to replace the expensive and imported fish meal. @ JASE

Effects of bamboo substrate and supplementary feed on growth and production of the African catfish, Clarias gariepinus

The effects of bamboo poles as substrate for periphyton development on the growth and production of the African catfish, Clarias gariepinus , was evaluated over a period of 90 days. Three treatments, namely manure application as control (C), control and substrate installation (C + S) and, control and substrate with supplementary feeding (C + S + F) were randomly allotted to six earthen ponds each with an area of 100m2. Catfish fingerlings of mean weight 27.5g \ub1 1.25 were stocked at the rate of 80 fish per 100m2. Water temperature, pH, Total Alkalinity, Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), ammonia and nitrites were monitored during the study. The results obtained after a 90- day culture period indicated no significant variations in water quality between treatments. Similarly, there were no significant difference in survival between the treatments which ranged from 81.3%, 96.8% and 86.3% for the C, C+S and C+S+F respectively. The mean gross fish yield (kg/100m2) varied from 16.0kg for C + S, 9.5kg for C + S + F and 6.0kg for C. the study indicated bamboo poles as substrate for periphyton was a superior alternative to improve catfish production under pond conditions

Livelihood trends in Response to Climate Change in Forest Fringe Communities of the Offin Basin in Ghana

The livelihoods of forest fringe communities in Ghana depend, largely, on the renewable natural resources that they can find in the forests and any activities that impacts on the integrity of the forest disrupt the livelihood of the dependent communities. Forest fragmentation continues to take place in Ghana, mainly in response to a growing demand to feed an ever increasing population and for timber exploitation for export. One of the forest fringe communities in Ghana where the rural livelihoods of the people have been compromised due to deforestation and climate change is the Offin basin. The removal of forests impacts on local climate, water availability, and livelihoods due to influence of forests on precipitation and water balance. Fluxes in the quantity and frequency of rainfall contribute to decreasing food production and water availability. This study examines forest loss, precipitation and ambient temperature patterns in the forest fringe communities in the Offin river basin over the past four and a half decades and assesses current impacts and trends on rural livelihoods and coping strategies by the communities. The forests provide the communities with fuel-wood, fish and game, medicinal plants, food sources, and recreation. Between 2000 and 2005 deforestation rate in the basin was 2%. Mean annual precipitation decreased by 22.2% between 1960 and 2000 in response to a 1.3\ub0C rise in ambient temperature over the same period. Considerable changes in the frequency of rainfall and its unpredictability impacted negatively on the livelihood of the fringe communities who are predominantly cocoa and subsistence crop farmers. The livelihood resources of the community are severely constrained leading to reduction in food security and economic losses. In response to deforestation and associated climatic changes, several coping strategies for sustenance of livelihoods have been adopted by the forest fringe communities. @ JASE

The Current State of the Clam, Galatea paradoxa, Fishery at the Lower Volta River, Ghana

The clam, Galatea paradoxa has for decades been an important source of protein to the riparian communities of the lower Volta River and provides employment to about 2000 people, especially women. The fishing grounds have dwindled from 100 km from the pre-dam era to a narrow stretch of 10 km as a result of the development of sand bars at the estuary. This study was conducted to ascertain the socio-economic importance of the clam fishery to the people of the lower Volta, Ghana. The research found out that there were 251 fishing canoes and 503 fishers engaged in the clam fishery. The average daily catch per fishing canoe was 130 kg of clams, with an annual harvest of 7700 tonnes worth 4,620,408 Ghana Cedis. Commercial extinction of G. paradoxa is imminent in the lower Volta as a result of habitat alteration and overfishing. There is the need to put in place a sustainable harvesting measure that will target medium to large size clams against the current situation where the catch is dominated by smaller clams. It is recommended that a minimum landing size of 50 mm should be imposed. This should be done in consultation with the chiefs and traditional authorities in the communities which have managed the fishery to date. The marketing of clams below the 50 mm shell length limit should be abolished and enforced by the traditional authorities. Secondly, the farming of smaller clams, which is a traditional activity in the estuary, should be encouraged so that fishers who harvest undersize clams can seed them onto their culture plots

An investigation into the food and feeding ecology of a potential aquaculture candidate, Sarotherodon galilaeus multifasciatus in a meteoritic crater lake in Ghana

An investigation into the food and feeding ecology of the cichlid, Sarotherodon Galilaeus Multifasciatus in a tropical meteoritic lake in Ghana was undertaken. Stomachs of the fishes, at two length classes, representing adults and juveniles, were examined and the food items identified. The juveniles of Sarotherodon galilaeus multifasciatus feed mainly on insect and insect larvae and relatively small quantities of diatoms but avoiding macrophytes. A striking feature in the composition of juvenile diet was the considerable quantities of ingested sand, which constituted about 16% of stomach contents. Ingested sand may be helpful in maceration of food in the pyloric stomach. A sandy substratum may, therefore, appear ecologically important for juveniles of the species. Adult stomachs contained mainly phytoplankton, chironomid and insect larvae with no ingested sand. No significant differences were found in the stomach contents of the fishes for the dry and wet seasons due, partly, to the lack of any considerable seasonal differences in allochthonous inputs into the lake waters. The fishes exploit a wide range of food resources in the open, sub-littoral and littoral zones of the lake. Further studies to include growth and recruitment are recommended to enhance future production of the species under culture conditions

An Investigation Into the Food and Feeding Ecology of a Potential Aquaculture Candidate, Sarotherodon Galilaeus Multifasciatus in a Meteoritic Crater Lake in Ghana

An investigation into the food and feeding ecology of the cichlid, Sarotherodon Galilaeus Multifasciatus in a tropical meteoritic lake in Ghana was undertaken. Stomachs of the fishes, at two length classes, representing adults and juveniles, were examined and the food items identified. The juveniles of Sarotherodon galilaeus multifasciatus feed mainly on insect and insect larvae and relatively small quantities of diatoms but avoiding macrophytes. A striking feature in the composition of juvenile diet was the considerable quantities of ingested sand, which constituted about 16% of stomach contents. Ingested sand may be helpful in maceration of food in the pyloric stomach. A sandy substratum may, therefore, appear ecologically important for juveniles of the species. Adult stomachs contained mainly phytoplankton, chironomid and insect larvae with no ingested sand. No significant differences were found in the stomach contents of the fishes for the dry and wet seasons due, partly, to the lack of any considerable seasonal differences in allochthonous inputs into the lake waters. The fishes exploit a wide range of food resources in the open, sub-littoral and littoral zones of the lake. Further studies to include growth and recruitment are recommended to enhance future production of the species under culture conditions

Growth performance of the African catfish, Clarias gariepinus , fed varying inclusion levels of Leucaena leucocephala leaf meal

The efficacy of treated Leucaena leucocephala leaf meal as an ingredient in diet of the African catfish, Clarias gariepinus , of mean weight 40.18±0.51g was evaluated over a 90-day growth period. Four experimental diets were formulated at 0% (control), 10%, 20% and 30% inclusion levels of treated Leucaena leaf meal. Leaves were treated by soaking in water for 3 days and sun-drying for another 3 days. A control diet of fish meal with fish meal serving as the only protein source was formulated. All diets were isonitrogenous (30% protein). The 90-day feeding experiment was conducted in concrete tanks, each treatment having three replicates. Fish fed 20% Leucaena leaf meal recorded the best growth performance in body weight gain and Specific Growth Rate (SGR), although the best Feed conversion Ration (FCR) was recorded for fish fed on the control diet of 0% Leucaena meal. There were no significant differences between fish fed the control diet and the other experimental (P>0.05). The study demonstrated that Leucaeana leucocephala leaf meal may be included in the diets of Clarias gariepinus at inclusion levels of up to 30% but it is efficacious and cost effective at 20% inclusion level. It is, therefore, recommended that Leucana leucocephala leaf meal be used to partially to replace the expensive and imported fish meal. @ JASE

Effects of bamboo substrate and supplementary feed on growth and production of the African catfish, Clarias gariepinus

The effects of bamboo poles as substrate for periphyton development on the growth and production of the African catfish, Clarias gariepinus , was evaluated over a period of 90 days. Three treatments, namely manure application as control (C), control and substrate installation (C + S) and, control and substrate with supplementary feeding (C + S + F) were randomly allotted to six earthen ponds each with an area of 100m2. Catfish fingerlings of mean weight 27.5g ± 1.25 were stocked at the rate of 80 fish per 100m2. Water temperature, pH, Total Alkalinity, Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), ammonia and nitrites were monitored during the study. The results obtained after a 90- day culture period indicated no significant variations in water quality between treatments. Similarly, there were no significant difference in survival between the treatments which ranged from 81.3%, 96.8% and 86.3% for the C, C+S and C+S+F respectively. The mean gross fish yield (kg/100m2) varied from 16.0kg for C + S, 9.5kg for C + S + F and 6.0kg for C. the study indicated bamboo poles as substrate for periphyton was a superior alternative to improve catfish production under pond conditions