Protein and amino acid requirements of warm-water fishes: a tool to efficient and low-cost fish feed production in Nigeria

Numerous investigations have utilized various semi-purified and purified diets to estimate the protein and amino acid requirements of several temperate fishes. The vast literature on the protein and amino acid requirements of fishes has continued to omit that of the tropical warm water species. The net effect is that fish feed formulation in Nigeria have relied on the requirement for temperate species. This paper attempts to review the state of knowledge on the protein amino acid requirements of fishes with emphasis on the warm water species, the methods of protein and amino acid requirement determinations and the influence of various factors on nutritional requirement studies. Finally evidence are presented with specific examples on how requirements of warm water fishes are different from the temperate species and used this to justify why fish feed formulation in Nigeria are far from being efficien

Water Parameters and Floristic Composition of African Manatee (Trichechus senegalensis) Habitat in Pandam Wildlife Park, Nigeria

The study of the physicochemical characteristic and floristic composition of African manatee habitat in Pandam Lake was conducted between 2012 and 2013. The water parameters were tested using standard method while line intercept method was adopted for vegetation survey. Data obtained on the water parameters were analyzed using one-way ANOVA. Plant species diversity index was analyzed using PAST Software. The mean seasonal water surface area increase was 66.12±5.01. The mean water depth in the dry season was 2.28±1.14 while the wet season value was 4.3±1.15. Also the mean water transparency was for wet and dry seasons were 64.02±4.66 and 111.18±4.26 respectively. The mean pH value was 6.5±0.14. Water salinity ranges from 0.00mg/l to 0.01mg/l, mean DO was 6.24±1.13, nitrate was 0.08±0.02 and mean conductivity of 52.65 ±2.12. A total of 42 plant species from 23 families were recorded in Pandam Lake. The family Poaceae had the highest number of species (22) (30.56%). The grass species had the highest frequency of 13 while trees recorded the lowest (3). Also there are more perennial species (n=28; 66.67%) than annual species (n=14; 33.33%). The Shannon diversity index was 3.72. Thirteen species of plants recorded in Pandan Lake during this study were known to provide food for manatees across their range in Africa. All the water parameter values were within the range tolerable by manatee. The Lake have diverse species of plants that manatee can feed on both in the wet and dry seasons. The park management should maintain the integrity of the ecosystem by regulating fishing and other human activities to avoid pollution. The park should be taken over by the Federal government for effective protection of the resources most especially manatee.Keywords: Water quality, vegetation, African manatee, Pandam Lak

Length-Weight Relationship And Condition Factor Of The Elephant Fish, Mormyrus rume (Valenciennes, 1846) In River Ose, Southwestern Nigeria

A total of 791 elephant fish, Mormyrus rume specimens of various sizes were sampled from River Ose, southwestern Ngera. Length-weight relationship and condition factor of the M rume specimens were studied. Their standard lengths ranged from 15.0 to 45.0 cm. Mean standard lengthfor males, females and combined sex were 27.86 cm, 3008 cm and 28.97 cm, respectvely. The body weight ranged from 75.5 to 610.0 g Mean body weight for males, females and combinedsex were 167.57 g 237.38 g and 202.48 g respectvely. Lengh-weight relatonship for males, emales andcombined sex were 1.699, 2.134 and 1990, respectively. The fsh exhibited alometrcgrowth in the river. The predictive equation was log W = -0.636 + 199 log L. The mean condition factor varied between seasons. The mean condition for males, females and combined sex were 0.787, 0.859 and 0.823, respectvely. The condtion factor decreased with increase in ndvidual sizes. Keywords: Length-weight relationship, Condition factor, Mormyrus rume, River Ose, NigeriaAnimal Research International Vol. 4 (1) 2007 pp. 617-62