Abstract
A preliminary investigation of length-weight relationship, condition factor and reproductive ecology of African pike fish, Hepsetus odoe, was conducted between June to August 2010 in Lake Eleiyele. A total of 90 samples of the fish species were caught by fishermen using gill nets. The results obtained showed that fish species had isometric growth pattern (contrary to negative allometry expected) with the growth exponent, b value of 2.64, that is not statistically different from 3 and with high statistical power of 0.866 when tested. The mean condition factor, K, was found to be 2.6, indicating that the fish species were in good condition in the study area. For reproductive biology, mean fecundity and gonadosomatic index were found to be 1349 eggs and 3.53% respectively. This study was necessary to fill the knowledge gap and provide information for management and conservation of the investigated species in the lake system.This study recommended that further research needs to be conducted because the sampling was carried out in the rainy season period and within a quarter of a year.
Highlights
IntroductionFish from inland waters such as Hepsetus odoe is known to be a highly demanding, valuable and important source of rich protein to man and contributes immensely to the nation’s gross domestic product (GDP) (Bolarinwa 2015)
Nigeria is endowed with a large hectare (14 million) of land consisting of reservoirs, lakes and rivers, capable of producing over 980,000 metric tonnes of fish annually (Federal Department of Fisheries (FDF) 2007)
The relationship between the total length (TL) and body weight (BW) shows a highly significant positive correlation, R2 = 0.61 (p = 2 × 10− 16). This indicates that BW of the species increases as the TL increases (Ezekiel and Abowei 2014)
Summary
Fish from inland waters such as Hepsetus odoe is known to be a highly demanding, valuable and important source of rich protein to man and contributes immensely to the nation’s gross domestic product (GDP) (Bolarinwa 2015). They are multiple spawners, breed over the summer months and are relatively short-lived, with a life span of only 4–5 years (Skelton 1993) They build a free-floating bubble-nest which suspends the eggs to receive enough aeration, acts as a deterrent to predators due to its placement in highly vegetated areas and provides an anchor for the young to attach themselves to. These eggs vary in size from 2.5–2.9 mm in diameter, and the adults are known to guide and show some parental cares for the eggs and hatched embryos (Merron et al 1990)
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