Abstract
The body characteristics and yield indices of Clarias gariepinus, Bagrus bajad, Synodontis nigrita, Labeo senegalensis and Mormyrus rume from lower Benue River in Nigeria were determined in this study using 60 samples each for the fish species. Length, weight and fillet correlations were also determined during the study. Results obtained showed that M. rume, L. senegalensis and C. gariepinus had the highest percentage of edible parts (≥ 55%) compared to the other species (≤ 39%). Concerning correlations of the fillet with the morphological variables, results obtained suggest that fillet yield is independent of fish size (except for C. gariepinus which was positively correlated). Also, only samples of L. senegalensis showed isometric growth pattern; the other fish species had either positive (C. gariepinus and B. bajad) or negative (S. nigrita and M. rume) allometric growth. While the difference in fillet yield and body characteristics was attributed to the structural anatomy and other biological dynamics of the fishes, this study could not establish a connection between fillet yield and the length-weight relationship. It was concluded that M. rume, L. senegalensis and C. gariepinus would be better export products because of their higher fillet yields.
Highlights
The body characteristics and yield indices of Clarias gariepinus, Bagrus bajad, Synodontis nigrita, Labeo senegalensis and Mormyrus rume from lower Benue River in Nigeria were determined in this study using 60 samples each for the fish species
Results obtained showed that M. rume, L. senegalensis and C. gariepinus had the highest percentage of edible parts (≥ 55%) compared to the other species (≤ 39%)
Sales of fish fillet may not be common in Africa and many developing countries of the world due to infrastructure decadence; Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) (2014) had stated that it is a viable means of introducing tropical fish products into the international markets
Summary
The fisheries industry is dynamic and the changes experienced are geared towards meeting consumer’s diverse needs and preferences. The economic importance of marketing fish as packaged fillets has grown exponentially (Saldanha et al 2008). Fillet and carcass yields are very important variables for both the fish processing industry and fish farmers as they can be used to assess the economic value of different fish species (Macedo-Viegas & Souza 2004). Sales of fish fillet may not be common in Africa and many developing countries of the world due to infrastructure decadence; Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) (2014) had stated that it is a viable means of introducing tropical fish products into the international markets. Fish farmers in Sub-Saharan African need to be aware, enlightened and encouraged to produce commercially viable fish fillets to maximise profit
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