Length-weight relationship, diet composition and condition factor of Clarotes laticeps from Lower River Benue

Length weight relationship, diet composition and condition factor of 240 samples comprising of 79 male and 161 female of C. laticeps from Lower River Benue was determined. The mean total length, standard length, body weight, and condition factor of male Clarotes laticeps were 33.30±1.10, 27.70± 1.07, 464.30±465.03, and 1.05±0.05 respectively while the mean total length, standard length, body weight and condition factor of the female counterpart were 35.80±1.13, 29.33±1.05, 528.20±467.85 and 0.97±0.04 respectively. There was no significant difference (p > 0.05) in the mean total length, standard length, body weight and condition factors between the male and female Clarotes laticeps. Female Clarotes laticeps had better ‘b’ value (3.13) than the males (3.01). Of the 240 C. laticeps examined, 35.00% samples had empty stomachs while 65.00% samples had different food items in their stomachs. Out of the 65.00% stomachs containing different food items, 31.40 % had full stomachs, 26.30 had half-full stomachs, 19.20% had quarter stomach while 23.10% had three quarter-full stomachs. Varieties of food items found in the stomachs C. laticeps ranged from plant to animal materials as well as sand and detritus. The most frequently food item consumed by C. laticeps was algae (85.90%) while insect part (20.12 %) had the least. Numerically, algae (37.24 %) had the highest while digested food particles (6.90%) was the least food item consumed.Keywords: Length-weight, Diet composition, Clarotes laticeps, Condition factor and River Benu

Metal composition of Clarias gariepinus consumed in Makurdi and its environs

A study was conducted to determine the concentrations of nine heavy Metals (Cadmium, lead.Copper, Chromium, Iron, Zinc, Selenium, Nickel and Aluminum) in gills, muscles and skin of Clarias gariepinus within three different locations (Kuatansule, Wadata and UAM fish) with the use of standard flame Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry Techniques. Iron was found in high concentration in all the sites with the gills having the highest concentration while lead. Cadmium, Selenium, Nickel and Aluminum were not detectable. Significant differences in metal concentrations were observed between locations with UAM fish farm having the highest metal concentration. It is concluded that concentration, of heavy metals found in selected organs of Clarias gariepinus were within tolerable limits as recommended by FAO

Length weight relationship, food and feeding habits and condition factor of Synodontis melanoptera and Synodontis courtetti from Lower River Benue, Benue State, Nigeria

Length weight relationship, food and feeding habit and condition factor of Synodontis melanoptera and Synodontis courtetti from Lower River were investigated. The results show that total length, weight and condition factor of S. melanoptera male ranged from 25.50-47.00cm, 100.00-955.00g and 0.39-1.82. Total length, weight and condition factor of S. melanoptera female ranged from 22.50-45.70cm, 103.00- 963.00g and 0.55-2. Female S. melanoptera had higher mean total length (34.02±0.96cm), weight (518.20±42.58g) and condition factor (1.12±0.05) than the male with (33.15±1.21cm), 358.83±52.09g and 0.78±0.05 respectively. Contrastingly, the total length, weight and condition factor of S. courtetti male ranged from 21.48-44.40cm, 106.20-840.40g and 0.37-1.94. Total length, weight and condition factor of S. courtetti female ranged from 22.48-48.30cm, 106.20-946.10g and 0.34-1.76. Female S. courtetti had higher mean total length (33.40±0.85cm), weight (381.58±36.09g) and condition factor (0.89±0.40) than the male counterpart (32.30±0.87cm, 327.32±39.68g and 0.88±0.06 respectively. The ‘b’ values for male, female and combined sexes of S. melanptera were 3.62, 3.32 and 3.45, with high correlation coefficients of 0.91, 0.92 and 0.90, respectively. Male S. melanptera had better ‘b’ value (3.62) than the female (3.32). Also, the ‘b’ values for male, female and combined sexes of S. courtetti were 3.16, 3.10 and 3.12 with high correlation coefficients of 0.83, 0.85 and 0.84, respectively. Higher ‘b’ value (3.16) was recorded for male S. courtetti than the female (3.10). The most frequently food item consumed by S. melanoptera and S. courtetti were stones; while S. melanoptera consumed 61.64% of this food item, S. courtetti consumed 86.44% followed by worms. S. melanoptera consumed 45.21%, S. courtetti consumed 69.49% whereas, the least frequently consumed food item by S. melanoptera and S. courtetti were crayfish (4.11%) and unidentified food item (10.17%), respectively. Numerically, the highest food item consumed by S. melanoptera and S. courtetti were worms (Nematode); S. melanoptera accounted for 31.90% while S. courtetti accounted for 34.57%. Crayfish (3.33%) and unidentified food item (5.76%) were the least food items consumed by S. melanoptera and S. courtetti.Keywords: Length-weight, food and feeding, condition factor Synodontis melanoptera, Synodontis courtett