Morphometric and meristic characteristics of silver catfish Chrysichthys nigrodigitatus (Lacepède, 1803) (Siluriformes: Claroteidae) from Epe Lagoon, Lagos, Southwest Nigeria

Olusegun Olufemi Whenu , Gabriel Olarinde Mekuleyi and Nimota Ojomu

Abstract
The morphometric and meristic characteristics of 300 fish samples of silver catfish Chrysichthys nigrodigitatus (Lacepède, 1803) (Siluriformes: Claroteidae) inhabiting the Epe Lagoon, Lagos, was conducted between October 2012 and January 2013 in order to investigate the growth and health status of this species. The meristic characteristics deduced in this study were counted and ranged as follows; dorsal spine had constant value of one all through, and the pectoral spine had a constant value of two, dorsal rays were counted 6-7 (6.03 + 0.25), pectoral rays were counted 6-7 (6.04 + 0.27), gill rakers were counted 15-18 (17.86 + 0.96), opercula bones were counted 2-4 (3.22 + 1.11) and vertebrae count was 8-10 (8.43 + 1.95). All the morphometric characteristics except body weight were measured with measuring board of precision of 0.1 cm. Body weight was measured with a metler electronic chemical balance of precision of 0.1 g. Morphometric data includes total length 15.5-38.5 cm (25.43 + 3.87 cm), fork length 2.0-11.6 cm (8.61 + 1.53 cm), standard length 10.0-28.3 cm (17.85 + 3.90 cm), head length 2.0-3.5 cm (2.91 + 0.79 cm), head depth 1.0-3.3 cm (2.41 + 1.05 cm), eye diameter 0.5 1.0 cm (1.28 + 0.77 cm), body depth 1.6-6.5 cm (3.57 + 0.90 cm) and body weight 24.5-451.6 g (157.48 + 5.60). The length and the weight of this species were not directly proportional. Growth parameter has a negative allometric range (b = 0.256) and the condition factor (k) ranged from 0.103-2.97 (1.08 + 0.64 g) which indicated a good condition of the fish species in the Lagoon. This study provided baselines of the population structure of this species in Epe Lagoon, Lagos State and also shown that their present growth pattern calls for further monitoring.

Keywords
Allometry; Length; Weight; Relationship; Condition factor.

DOI
10.21472/bjbs.050913

Full text
PDF

References
Adedeji, R. A.; Araoye, P. A. Study and characterization in the growth of body parts of Synodontis schall (Pisces: Mochokidea) from Asa Dam, Ilorin, Nigeria. Nigerian Journal of Fisheries, v. 2/3, No. 1, p. 219-244, 2006.

Akande, G. R. Fish processing technology in Nigeria: challenges and prospects. In: Aiyeloja, A. A.; Ijeomah, H. M. (Eds.). Book of reading in forestry, wildlife anagement and fisheries. New Oko Oba, Lagos: Topbase, 2011. p. 772 808.

Anene, A. Condition factors of four cichlid species of a man-made lake in Imo state, Southeast, Nigeria. Turkish Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Science, v. 5, p. 43 47, 2005. Available from: <http://www.trjfas.org/uploads/pdf_277.pdf>. Accessed on: Aug. 22, 2017.

Anyanwu, A. O.; Ugwumba, O. A. Delineation of Pseudotolithus senegalensis (C & V, 1933) stocks along the East, Central and West of the Niger Delta, Nigeria. The Zoologist, v. 1, No. 1, p. 78-85, 2002.

Anyanwu, A. O.; Ugwumba, O. A. Studies on the morphometric, meristic and electrophoresis patterns of Pseudotolithus species. The Zoologist, v. 2, No. 1, p. 70-77, 2003.

Arshad, A.; Amin, S. M. N.; Nuradiella, Y. L. Z.; Cob, Z. C.; Ara, R.; Aziz, D. Population characteristics of A. japonicas from the Kedah coastal waters of peninsular alaysia. Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Science, v. 7, p. 162-172, 2012. https://doi.org/10.3923/jfas.2012.162.172

Bagenal, T. B. Aspects of fish fecundity. In: Gerking, S. D. (Ed.). Ecology of freshwater fish production. Oxford: Blackwell Scientific Publications, 1978. p. 75-101.

Diaz, L. S.; Roa, A.; Gareia, C. B.; Acero, A.; Nava, G. Length-weight relationships of demersal fishes from the upper continental slope off Columbia. The ICLARM Quarterly, v. 23, No. 3, p. 23-25, 2000. Available from: <http://pubs.iclarm.net/Naga/fb2.pdf>. Accessed on: Aug. 22, 2017.

Edokpayi, C. A.; Uwadiae, R. E.; Asoro, A. O.; Badru, A. E. Phytomacrofauna arthropod associated with the roots of water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) in Epe Lagoon Southern Nigeria. Ecology and Environmental Conservation Paper, v. 14, No. 2/3, p. 241-247, 2008.

Eyo, J. E. Congeneric discrimination of morphometric characters among members of the pisces genus Clarias (Clariidae) in Anambra River, Nigeria. The Zoologist, v. 2, No. 1, p. 1-17, 2003.

Ezenwa, B. A. Study of the reproductive biology of the catfish, silver catfish (Lacepede, 1803) in Nigeria. Lagos, Nigeria: University of Lagos, 1981. (PhD thesis).

Gallo-da-Silva, V.; Cavalcanti, M. J.; Lopes, P. R. D. Comparative morphometrics of Semiontidae, Lepidsosteidae and Amiidae (Actinopterygii: Neopterygii) by multivariate analysis of truss networks. Anais da Academia Brasileira de Ciencias, v. 70, No. 1, p. 117-124, 1998.

Ikusemiju, K. Aspect of the ecology and life history of the sculpin, Coitus aleuticus (Gilbert) in Lake Washington. Journal of Fish Biology, v. 7, No. 2, p. 235-345, 1975. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1095-8649.1975.tb04595.x

Lawson, E. O. Morphometric measurements and meristic counts in mudskipper (Periophthalmus papilio) from mangrove swamps of Lagos Lagoon, Nigeria. Journal of Applied Biosciences, v. 34, p. 2166-2172, 2010. Available from: <http://www.m.elewa.org/JABS/2010/34/5.pdf>. Accessed on: Aug. 22, 2017.

Murta, A. G. Morphological variation of horse mackerel (Trachurus trachurus) in the Iberian and North African Atlantic: implications for stock identification. ICES Journal of Marine Science, v. 57, p. 1240-1284, 2000. https://doi.org/10.1006/jmsc.2000.0810

Muyideen, O. L.; Oluwabamise, J. S.; Bola, M. S. Morphometry and diet of Chrysichthys nigrodigitatus (Lacepède, 1803) in Epe Lagoon, Lagos, Nigeria. African Journal of Biotechnology, v. 9, No. 46, p. 7955-7960, 2010. Available from: <http://www.academicjournals.org/article/article1380628089_Lawal et al.pdf>. Accessed on: Aug. 22, 2017.

Offem, B. O.; Akegbejo-Samsons, Y.; Omoniyi, I. T. Diet, size and reproductive biology of the silver catfish, Chrysichthys nigrodigitatus (Siluriformes: Bagridae) in the Cross River, Nigeria. Revista de Biología Tropical, v. 56, No. 4, p. 1785-1799, 2008. Available from: <http://www.scielo.sa.cr/pdf/rbt/v56n4/art16v56n4.pdf>. Accessed on: Aug. 22, 2017.

Oni, S. K.; Olayemi, J. Y.; Adegboye, J. D. Comparative physiology of three ecologically distinct freshwater fishes, Alestes nurse Ruppell, Synodontis schall Bloch & Schneider and Tilapia zilli Gervais. Journal of Fisheries Biology, v. 22, No. 1, p. 105-109, 1983. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1095-8649.1983.tb04730.x

Saborido, R.; Nedreaas, K. H. Geographic variation of Sebastes mentella in the Northeast Arctic derived from a morphometric approach. ICES Journal of Marine Science, v. 57, p. 965-975, 2000. https://doi.org/10.1006/jmsc.2000.070