Length-weight relationship and condition factor of &lt;i&gt;Clarias gariepinus &lt;/i&gt;and &lt;i&gt;Oreochromis niloticus &lt;/i&gt;of Wudil river, Kano, Nigeria

B.U Getso,J.M Abdullahi,I.A Yola

doi:10.4314/as.v16i1.1

Abstract

The length-weight relationship and condition factor of Clarias gariepinus and Oreochromis niloticus from four study sites (Marmara, Ruwan Jaki, Kogin Mada, and Ruwan Yan akuya sites respectively) in Wudil River, Kano State Nigeria was evaluated over a period of four weeks in December 2010. A total of 120 mature fish samples which were caught during the study period using drag net and traps, were immediately immersed in 10% formalin and transported to laboratory. The growth coefficient (b) obtained of the two fish species ranged from 0.1441 to 0.8058 for Oreochromis niloticus, and from 0.1173 to 0.5457 for Clarias gariepinus. The ‘b’ differed significantly (p < 0.05) from 3, indicating negative allometric growth for all fish species. The condition factor (K) ranged from 0.516 (Clarias gariepinus) from Marmara site, to 1.809 (Oreochromis niloticus) from Kogin Mada sampling site. The condition factors of all fish species sampled fall outside the range recommended as suitable for matured fresh water fish species in the tropics. Key words: length-weight relationship, condition factor, Clarias gariepinus, Oreochromis niloticus, Wudil River

Highlights

Fish is any aquatic vertebrate animal that is covered with scales and equipped with two sets of paired fins and several unpaired fins (Helfman et al, 1997)
This study analyzed the length-weight relationship of the two major fish species collected from Wudil River
The growth coefficient (b) differed significantly from 3 at the level of sampled fish species (p < 0.05), which indicated that all the fish species had negative allometric growth

Summary

Introduction

Fish is any aquatic vertebrate animal that is covered with scales and equipped with two sets of paired fins and several unpaired fins (Helfman et al, 1997). They are found in diverse habitats, fresh and salt waters throughout the world. Length-weight relationship of fish is widely recognized as an important tool in fisheries science especially in ecology population dynamic and stock management (Abdoli and Rasooli, 2008). The relationship of length-weight estimates condition factor of the fish species and fish biomass through the length frequency (Fishbase, 2013). The condition factor may vary among fish species in different locations (Blackwell et al, 2000)

Methods

Results

Conclusion