A SURVEY OF FISH SPECIES DIVERSITY AND ABUNDANCE IN DOGON RUWA WATER BODY OF KAMUKU NATIONAL PARK, BIRNIN GWARI, KADUNA STATE, NIGERIA
A SURVEY OF FISH SPECIES DIVERSITY AND ABUNDANCE IN DOGON RUWA WATER BODY OF KAMUKU NATIONAL PARK, BIRNIN GWARI, KADUNA STATE, NIGERIA
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Date
2015-12
Authors
OYEWO, Stephen Dada
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Abstract
A survey of fish species diversity in Dogon ruwa water body of Kamuku National Park, Birnin Gwari, Nigeria was carried out between April 2013 and March 2014. 2,161 fish, comprising 11 genera and 12 species, belonging to six families were caught using a fleet of nine multifilament gill nets of 2.5, 3.75, 5.0, 7.5, 8.75, 10.0, 12.5, 15.0 and 17.5 cm stretched meshes. The family Cichlidae dominated the catches by number and abundance (631 fish, 29.20%); Tilapia zillii was the numerically dominant species (321 fish, 14.8%). Monthly and seasonal abundance of all the fish species was highest in November (early dry season) (534 fish, 24.71%); the dominant fish family in November was the Cichlidae (155 fish, 29.03%), whereas, the fewest were members of the family Mochokidae (41 fish, 7.68%). The fewest fish (33 fish, 1.53%) were caught in April (the driest month), with the dominant family being the Cichlidae (9 fish, 27.27%) and the least prevalent, the family Mochokidae (2 fish, 6.06%). The largest fish caught was Clarias gariepinus with a standard length of 23.82 cm, total length of 27.36 cm and a total weight of 266.91g; the smallest was Mormyrus rume, with standard and total lengths of 11.06 cm and 13.74 cm, respectively; Mormyrops anguilloides had the lowest weight. The mean condition factor „K‟, by species was greater than 1 (one), indicating that all the fish species were in good condition. All the 12 fish species had a condition factor values range of 0.59-7.42. Clarias gariepinus had a range of 0.59-3.64; Oreochromis niloticus 2.56-6.12 and Schilbe mystus 0.94-3.56. The growth pattern of the fish species was negatively allometric with „b‟ values of 1.44-2.75. Clarias gariepinus, Oreochromis niloticus and Schilbe mystus had mean values of 2.33, 1.44 and 1.57, respectively. There was a strong correlation between the length and weight of all the fish species except in Oreochromis niloticus, in which the correlation was weak. The mean ranges of
Description
A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO THE SCHOOL OF POSTGRADUATE STUDIES, AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY, ZARIA, IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE AWARD OF MASTER OF SCIENCE (M.SC.) DEGREE IN FISHERIES DEPARTMENT OF BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES, FACULTY OF SCIENCE, AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY, ZARIA NIGERIA
Keywords
SURVEY,, FISH SPECIES DIVERSITY,, ABUNDANCE,, DOGON RUWA WATER BODY,, KAMUKU NATIONAL PARK,, BIRNIN GWARI,, KADUNA STATE,, NIGERIA