Alkaline Phosphatase (ALP) Activity in Selected Tissues & Organs of Clarias gariepinus Exposed to Different Levels of Paraquat

Analyzing the activities of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) in tissues can help detect tissue damage cause by toxicants such as paraquat,The activities of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) in some tissues and organs of Clarias gariepinus exposed to various levels of paraquat (2, 4, 6 and 8ppm) were studied for a period of thirty (30) days. The tissues and organs investigated include blood plasma, kidney, liver, gills and muscle. Results showed changes in ALP activity in the treatment group as compared to the control group except in the muscle and plasma where there were no significant changes. ALP activity was highest in the kidney in the control group (511.25+ 291.76 IU/L) while the lowest level of enzyme activity in the control group was observed in the muscle (1146.67+ 173.52 IU/L). Peak enzyme activity in the kidney was observed at 4ppm of paraquat. This later declined at higher treatment concentrations. There was no significant increase in ALP activity in the liver and gills at lower paraquat concentrations but a significant spike in enzyme activity was observed at 8ppm. Analyzing the activities of ALP in tissues can help detect tissue damage cause by toxicants such as paraquat. It can consequently be inferred that ALP activity can be used as a reliable biomarker for diseased condition in the kidney, liver and gills but not the plasma or muscle of Clarias gariepinus. Keywords: Alkaline phosphatase, pollution, Clarias garienpu

Ichtyofaunal Composition and Seasonal Occurrence in the Bodo Creek, Niger Delta, Nigeria.

The studies of Ichthyofaunal composition and seasonal occurrence in Bodo Creek, Niger Delta Nigeria were done between the months of January to July 2010. the collection of the fishes were done with fishing traps, gill and cast nets of various mesh sizes ranging from 20 – 102mm. The months of January February and March were sampled for the wet season while the months of May, June and July were sampled for the dry season to determine the seasonal occurrence of the various fish species. The upper, middle and lower courses of the creek were also accorded cognizance during fish collection to determine the spatial dynamics in species occurrence. The identification of the fish species was done with aid of keys provided by Reed etal (1979) Tobor (1978), FAO (1981) and Schneider (1990). A total of 45 fish species belonging 36 genera and 26 families were identified. The fish families; Clupeidaeand Carangidaewere the highest in species number recording 4 species each. The fish families Bagridae, Batrachoidae, Belonidae, Cynoglossidae, Drepanidae, Eleotridae, Elopidae, Ephipidae, Gerreidae, Monodaetylidae, Periophthalmidae, Semandidae, Soleidae, Trichiuridae and Symbrachidae were the least in species number, recording 1 species each. All 45 species occurred in all courses; upper, middle and lower. Courses all 45 species also occurred in both wet and dry season, but Ethmalosafimbriata and Liza grandisquamis were more abundant in the dry season than the wet season. Keywords: Ichthyofauna, assemblage, and distribution DOI: 10.7176/ALST/74-05 Publication date:May 31st 201

Tissue Distribution and Bioavailability of Trace Elements in Ergeria Radiata from the Upper Reaches of the Nun River, Niger Delta, Nigeria

Fresh samples of the clam Ergeria radiata were collected at six stations spanning 50 km along the upper reaches of the Nun River, Niger Delta, Nigeria. The animals were dissected into the foot, gills, viscera and shell and digested separately according to standard methods.  Selected trace elements (PZn, Cu, Cd, Pb, Cr, and Ni) were analysed in each category to delineate the portioning of the elements in the organism

Assessment of Human Health Risk from Heavy Metal Loads in Freshwater Clam, Ergeria radiata, from the Nun River, Niger Delta, Nigeria

The Nun River where the present study took place is one of the two arms of River Niger system traversing Bayelsa State, Nigeria before emptying into the Atlantic Ocean. It is home to a number of commercial fish and shellfish species, some of which are endemic, including the highly relished freshwater clam (Ergeria radiata) in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. The Nun River is subjected to a myriad of human induced contaminations from oil and gas activities, agricultural runoffs, sewage disposal and recently illegal oil refining activities. Six stations were selected along the upper reaches of the Nun River across six communities spanning over 50 km. Water, sediment and E. radiata samples were collected during the months of August, October, December and January at the established stations.  Trace metal (Pb, Cr, Cu, Ni, Cd and Zn) levels, bioaccumulation and bioavailability potentials of the metals in the clam were evaluated. The heavy metal levels were in the order of magnitude Ergeria>Sediment>overlying water across all the stations during all the months. Trace metal levels were moderately elevated with Ni recording the highest percentage elevation in the clam. Health implications of consuming seafood with elevated levels of trace metals was assessed and regular assessment of contaminant levels in the Nun River is advocated to avoid severe ecologic and human health impacts. Keywords: Trace metals, bioaccumulation, Nun River, Human Healt

Aspartate Transaminase (AST) Activity In Selected Tissues and Organs of Clarias gariepinus Exposed to Different Levels of Paraquat.

Analyzing the activities of aspatate transaminase in tissues can help detect tissue damage caused by toxicants such as paraquat. The activities of aspatate transaminase (AST) in some tissues and organs of Clarias gariepinus exposed to various levels of paraquat (2, 4, 6 and 8ppm) were studied for a period of thirty (30) days. The tissues and organs investigated include blood plasma, kidney, liver, gills and muscle. The results showed changes in AST activity in the treatment group as compared to the control group; however the increase was not concentration dependent. AST activity was highest in the liver (445.00+0.00IU/L SD) and lowest in the gill (65.00+27.39 IU/L SD) in the control group. There was no significant change in AST activity in the liver across the treatment range. AST activity however declined in the muscle with the lowest at 6ppm of paraquat. There was a significant increase in AST activity in the gills at 4ppm of paraquat, this later declined to almost control levels at higher concentrations. In the kidneys AST activity also significantly peaked at 4ppm of paraquat. This declined slightly and was maintained at higher treatment concentrations. AST activity peaked in the plasma at 4ppm of paraquat as well. This dropped slightly and picked up at 8ppm. Analyzing the activities of AST in tissues can help detect tissue damage cause by toxicants such as paraquat. It can consequently be inferred that AST activity can be used as a reliable biomarker for diseased condition in the plasma, gills and kidney but not the liver or muscle of Clarias gariepinus. Keywords: Enzymes, Herbicides, Toxican

Habitat use and food habitats of a gecko population in a west African suburban area

1.The spatial and trophic ecology of Afrotropical gecko populations are poorly known. Here, we report ecological observations on Brook’s House Gecko (Hemidactylus angulatus), a widespread gekkonid species, in the Rivers State University of Science and Technology campus, Port Harcourt, Nigeria.2. A total of 488 gecko individuals were recorded during the present study, in two surveyed habitat types: (i) plantationm trees (PTH) and (ii) buildings (BDH). In PTH, they were observed in 13 out of 15 species of trees present in the study area, with their (log) frequency of sightings being positively correlated to the (log) frequency of surveyed trees per species.3. The geckos used substantially the non-native ornamental trees of the PTH habitat. Pinus ponderosa and Elaeis guineensis were significantly preferred by geckos over all the other tree species.4. Geckos also used frequently the buildings (BDH habitat) at the university campus. There was no correlation between (log) area of each building and (log) number of observed lizards.5. We collected faeces from 51 gecko individuals in dry season and 66 in wet season. There were no significant dietary differences between seasons, with Diptera and adult Lepidoptera dominating in the diet.6. Dietary habits of geckos differed significantly between habitat types, with Araneae and Lepidoptera (larvae) being eaten much more frequently in BDH, and in Coleoptera and Isopoda that were eaten much more frequently in PTH The diversity dietary metrics (Shannon and Dominance indices) were very similar either between seasons or between habitats.7. Our independent set of analyses (diet diversity metrics; contingency tables on taxonomic dietary composition and rank-abundance diagrams) showed that lizards exhibited a same feeding strategy in both wet and dry seasons as well as in the two habitat types, although the diet composition differed significantly between habitats.8. A “mixed” foraging strategy was apparently used by Hemidactylus angulatus at the study area, as also observed in other gekkonid species from elsewhere

Analysis of some Aspects of Biology on Selected Fish species in River Hadejia, Jigawa State Nigeria

Analysis of some aspect of biology on selected species in River Hadejia, was carried out by analyzing the following, food and feeding habits using two method which are frequency of occurrence and dominant methods, forage to carnivore ratio,( F/C) was also estimated, water analysis was carried out purposely to find the food-fit in the body of water. The forage to carnivore ratio was estimated to be 3:1. while table 1-3 summaries the food items of Tilapia zill Orechromis niloticus and sarotherodon  galilaeus. Figure 1, summaries inter and intra specific competition among fish species. Keywords:- Frequency occurrence, dominant, forage carnivore, food

Structure and diversity of fish communities in man-made ponds of the Niger Delta (southern Nigeria)

1. A survey of eight local earthen hand-dug ponds located within the freshwater swamps of a Niger Delta area (southern Nigeria) was conducted over a period of 3 months. A total of 4,313 fishes representing 19 species from 12 families were recorded.2. The most abundant species was Xenomystus nigri (905 individuals), whereas the least common was Protopterus annectens (13). Cichlidae and Clariidae counted three species each, whereas Anabantidae, Hepsetidae, Mochokidae, Protopteridae, Phractolaemidae, Malapteruridae and Gymnarchidae were represented by a single species each.3. A lotic species, Synodontis sp., was recorded possibly as a result of the episodic flood of 2012.4. The Engenni swamps harbour a moderately diverse ichthyofauna. Regulations should be put in place to further enhance the fisheries potential of these local ponds

Nesting trees used by a pest bird (Village Weaver, Ploceus cucullatus): a large field survey suggests further human conflicts with local stakeholders in Southern Nigeria

The village weaver (Ploceus cucullatus) is a common colonial nesting bird widespread throughout Sub-Saharan Africa. It is known to weave its nests from leaf strips from a variety of tree species (mainly coconuts trees, oil palm trees) associated with human settlement areas, grasses, and other available plants. In this regard, this bird was considered a pest for its impact on different economic activities. Although extensive literature is already available on the parasitic role of village weavers, there is still a lack of analytical data that outlines which tree species are used for nesting and in what proportion, as well as the related implications in terms of economic impacts. Here, we carried out the first comprehensive arrangement of trees used by this species for nesting in Southern Nigeria (West Africa), checking for possible different impacts on stakeholders. In April 2021, we searched for village weaver nesting in 95 sites in 77 communities from 24 local government areas in Southern Nigeria, during 14 field surveys. Within each site, we collected GPS coordinates and counted the number of active nests, nesting birds and occupied trees. We recorded a total of 5,776 nests and 2,140 birds in 94 plants belonging to 23 tree species selected for nesting. Oil palm (Elaeis guineensis; n = 45) was the most used tree species, as 2,990 (51.77%) nests and 873 (40.79%) birds were recorded. Our results indicate the preference for nesting on trees used by stakeholders belonging to agricultural (palm farmers), touristic (operators) and energy (gas flare stations) sectors with economic implications about the conflict with this pest species

Structure and diversity of fish communities in man-made ponds of the Niger Delta (southern Nigeria)

1. A survey of eight local earthen hand-dug ponds located within the freshwater swamps of a Niger Delta area (southern Nigeria) was conducted over a period of 3 months. A total of 4,313 fishes representing 19 species from 12 families were recorded