Body Measurements and Proximate Analysis of Freshwater Crab (Sudanonautes aubryi) of Asejire Reservoir, Ibadan, Nigeria

Abstract

In this study, the interrelationships between various morphometric characters, viz., carapace width and length and chelae propodus length in males, as well as carapace width and length and abdominal width and length in females, were estimated using a total of 97 freshwater crabs (Sudanonautes aubryi). The allometric relationships between the characters of this set suggest that most relationships are positive and highly significant. The ‘b’ values for carapace width-weight in males and females were 3.008 and 2.973 respectively, and for carapace length-weight they were 2.908 and 2.74, respectively. The results show a significant deviation from an isometric growth pattern in female S. aubryi. Other interrelationship between characters such as left and right chelae; abdominal length and abdominal width; carapace length and abdominal width; and other interrelationship showed significant correlation. The sex ratio was also determined with male as the dominant sex. The samples were subjected to proximate analysis. The moisture content recorded on the body fluid of S. aubryi are at an average of 76.45% in male and 75.08% in female, the crude fat which has a relatively low value of 13.57% for male and average of 14.55% in female, the ash contents obtained were very low with an average of 1.16% in male and 0.398% in female, the crude protein reported on the fluid of both male and female S. aubryi are 4.5% for male and 4.62% for female, Carbohydrate percentages available in S. aubryi has a relatively high value with an average of 3.83% for male and 5.36% for female.