Journal of Biology and Medicine: Open Access
Dietary Compositions and Trophic Levels of Chrysichthys nigrodigitatus (Lacépède) and Lates niloticus (Linné) in Ikere Gorge Reservoir, Oyo State, Nigeria
Ayoade AA and Fadiya OO
Abstract
Food compositions and trophic levels of Chrysichthys nigrodigitatus (Lacépède) and Lates niloticus (Linné) in Ikere gorge reservoir (reported to be underutilized) were studied in order to provide biological information for the effective management of the fisheries of these dominant and highly valued food fish. Samples of C. nigrodigitatus and L. niloticus were collected monthly between April and September, 2018 and stomach contents were examined. In addition, trophic indices including trophic levels were estimated and the overlap index. The dominant food items in the gut of C. nigrodigitatus were algae, insect and insect parts. In contrast L. niloticus showed more preference for animal components including insects and fish. The food spectrum of female individuals was more diverse in C. nigrodigitatus, while males had greater diversity in L. niloticus. In small size groups of C. nigrodigitatus, plant-based food items were encountered more frequently and large size individuals preferred animal derivatives. Insects were dominant in diet of small size L. niloticus while fish dominated in the large size individuals. The mean trophic level of C. nigrodigitatus and L. niloticus was 2.856 ± 0.675 and 3.217 ± 0.720, respectively. The mean diet overlap between C. nigrodigitatus and L. niloticus was 0.2, indicating a low overlap of resources between the species.
Keywords: Chrysichthys nigrodigitatus; Diet; Feeding habits; Lates niloticus; Trophic level.
Journal Information
- Journal Name: Journal of Biology and Medicine: Open Access
- Journal Abbreviation: J Bio Med Open Access
- Journal Code: JBMOA
- Format of Publication: Online
- Frequency of Publication: Two Issue a Year
- Language: English
- Starting Year: 2020
- Subject: Biology, Medicine, Medical Sciences
- Review Process: Single-Blind Peer-Review by Referees
- Time to 1st Decision: 1 to 4 weeks from date of submission
- Time to Acceptance: 3 to 6 weeks, depending upon the required revision cycles
- Time to Publication: 1 to 2 weeks from date of final submission
- Editor-in-Chief: CHEE KONG YAP
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