Abstract
Fish sustainability in an aquatic environment involves continuous and judicious management towards optimum production of resources, for rational utilization and availability for future generation. Stomach composition of Oreochromis niloticus collected from a tropical brackish water environment was investigated to assess food availability towards optimum fish productivity for rational public utilization. Oreochromis niloticus, a fish of high economic importance and a generalize omnivore endemic to fresh and brackish water of Sub-Saharan Africa, and Asia, was reviewed to know the food availability status of the Lagos Lagoon, Nigeria. The conditions of stomach contents of O. niloticus samples collected were visually determined and subjected to frequency of occurrence, dominance, numerical, volumetric and relative index methods. Analytical and descriptive statistics were used to show occurrence, prevalence and availability of food organisms, within Lagos Lagoon. Results of the investigation revealed the presence of phytoplankton, dinoflagellates, sand grains, insect parts, plants parts, fish parts and unidentified constituents in O. niloticus stomach contents. O. niloticus revealed herbivorous feeding habit and Bacillariophyceae food item with highest occurrence. Food items satisfy requirements for optimum sustainability. Key words: Stomach contents, tropical, Oreochromis niloticus, Lagos Lagoon, Nigeria.
Highlights
Public unawareness of the benefits obtainable in aquatic environment, and uncareful use and management has considerable adverse influence on aquatic ecosystems, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa
Investigation of stomach contents of O. niloticus fish is carried out to know the status of food available for optimum production in Lagos Lagoon
Standard length ranged from 13.72 to 18.45 cm with a mean of 14.67 ± 1.56 cm whilst weight ranged from 83.32 to 140.68 g with a mean weight of 135.40 ± 31.46 g for the 480 samples of O. niloticus collected from the Lagos Lagoon
Summary
Public unawareness of the benefits obtainable in aquatic environment, and uncareful use and management has considerable adverse influence on aquatic ecosystems, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa. Lagos City is urban environment around the coast. The urbanization status has been considered to have tremendous tendencies of introducing contaminants into the aquatic ecosystem. This could result in degradation of the physico-chemical parameters of the water body; affecting optimum yield of the aquatic resources (Oribhabor, 2016). The socio-economy status of the Lagos city and indiscriminate disposal of waste / pollutant have resulted in anthropogenic input, affecting the aquatic ecosystem output and ecosystem services (Sankoh et al, 2013). Investigation of stomach contents of O. niloticus fish is carried out to know the status of food available for optimum production in Lagos Lagoon. Oreochromis niloticus known as Nile tilapia belongs to the family Cichlidae, which is a tropical freshwater and estuarine species of high economic importance and a generalized
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