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Growth Patterns, Diet Composition and Reproduction in the Ten Pounder, Elops Lacerta from Ologe Lagoon, Lagos, Nigeria 1Lawson, Emmanuel O

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Growth Patterns, Diet Composition and Reproduction in the Ten Pounder, Elops Lacerta from Ologe Lagoon, Lagos, Nigeria 1Lawson, Emmanuel O AGRICULTURE AND BIOLOGY JOURNAL OF NORTH AMERICA ISSN Print: 2151-7517, ISSN Online: 2151-7525, doi:10.5251/abjna.2010.1.5.974.984 © 2010, ScienceHuβ, http://www.scihub.org/ABJNA Growth patterns, diet composition and reproduction in the ten pounder, Elops lacerta from Ologe lagoon, Lagos, Nigeria 1Lawson, Emmanuel O. and 2Aguda, Abigail F. 1, 2Department of Fisheries, Faculty of Science, Lagos State University, Ojo. P.O. Box 0001, LASU Post Office, Lagos. ABSTRACT Ten pounder, Elops lacerta, a member of the family Elopidae is a tropical and subtropical fish species. Growth patterns, food and feeding habits and reproduction of 317 specimens of E. lacerta were investigated in Ologe lagoon, Lagos, Nigeria. Diurnal and nocturnal fishing activities were carried out in the lagoon using cast and gill nets. The specimens examined ranged from 90- 375mm total length (TL) and weighed 4.7- 214g body weight (BW) respectively. Of the specimens 49.5% were juveniles, 36.3% fingerlings and 14.2% adults. Specimens were classified as unsex, males and females their growth exponential “b” values were allometric and 2.40, 2.27 and 2.27 respectively meaning the fish become lighter for its length as it grows. These values accounted for the robustness of the fish in Ologe. High correlation coefficient was observed in E. lacerta with r=0.76, 0.97, and 0.88 for unsex, male and female specimens respectively. 158 males and 64 females were caught giving 1male:0.41female sex ratio. This was significantly different (P>0.05) from the expected 1male:1female. Diet of the fish consisted of shrimps, plant materials and unidentified food mass. Presence of fish and shrimps in stomachs of the fish indicated its piscivorous and predatory tendency while plant materials connoted its herbivorous habit. Keywords: Growth, fish, lagoon, reproduction INTRODUCTION observation; allow an estimate of the condition of the fish and are useful for between regions comparism of Ten pounder or West African lady fish, Elops lacerta life histories of certain species (Moutopoulos and is a member of the Family Elopidae (Val.)(FAO, Stegious 2000). The length weight relationship has 1990). The family comprises of one genus and six been widely used in fish biology with purposes like species especially found in tropical and sub tropical estimating the mean weight of fish based on known seas. It is an economically important fish species in length (Bolger and Connolly, 1989). Various Nigerian waters. It is widely distributed in estuaries techniques have been used to validate age in fishes and coastal waters of tropical and sub tropical region in tropical water (Bayagbona, 1969; Tobor, 1969; of sea. Its juveniles had been reported in marine, Ikusemiju, 1973; Fagade, 1973; Ezenwa and brackish and fresh waters off Lagos Coast, Lagos Kusemiju, 1981). Length-weight relationship is of and Lekki Lagoons in Nigeria by Ugwumba (1984). great importance in fishery assessment (Garcia et. al. Distribution of fish in the sea is related to certain 1998; Haimovici and Velasco, 2000). physical and chemical parameters of the water The food and feeding habit of fishes vary from (Hadzley, 1997). Juveniles are typically found at season to season. Seasonal changes in temperature moderate salinities of around 23-25 ppt (McBride et not only influence food consumption and rate of al. 2001), but they have also been collected from a digestion but also quality and quantity of available much broader range of 0-45 ppt (Govoni and food organism. Studies on the food and feeding habit Merriner, 1978). of some fishes were reported by Hynes (1950); The length and weight measurements in conjunction Bhuiyan and Islam (1988); Bhuiyan et al (1992, 1994, with age data can give information on the stock 1999). composition, age at maturity, life span, mortality, Matt (1944) reported the predatory tendencies of the growth and reproduction (Diaz et. al. 2000). Length- genus Elops in a man made lakes in Hawaii. Fagade weight relationships are useful tool for fisheries and Olaniyan (1973) working on the food and feeding research because they allow the conversion of interrelationships of fishes in the Lagos lagoon growth in length equation assessment model; allow grouped Elops lacerta amongst the piscivorous fishes for the estimation of biomass from the length feeding on Elops species, the clupeids Ethmalosa Agric. Biol. J. N. Am., 2010, 1(5): 974-984 fimbriata, Caranx sp and Trichiurus sp. They also Idoluwo, Ilemba, Igbede and Ojo towns. Fishing is feed on prawns, mostly the penaeid prawns that use predominant business of the inhabitants of these the lagoon as a nursery ground. Its feeding especially adjacent villages and towns around the lagoon. The on fish and shrimps was also reported by sampling sites used in the study are Obele, Gbanko, Diouf(1996). Ibiye, Idoluwo, Otto, and Agbara. The reproductive cycles of fishes are closely tied to Few literatures exist on the research efforts environmental changes, particularly seasonal change conducted on Ologe lagoon unlike research works in light and temperature. These two factors are often that had been conducted on Lagos, Epe and Lekki most important because they can act directly or lagoons. Kumolu–Johnson (2005) reported 20 through sense organs, or glands that produce families and 34 species, 94.53% fish, 4.87% shrimps hormones which in turn produce the appropriate and 0.69 crabs. Elops lacerta of the Family Elopidae psychological or behavioural responses. Gonadal ranked 22nd of the species abundance of the 20 growth and development of fishes are classified families in Ologe lagoon. Despite its importance basically in maturity stages as immature; ripening; economically and ecologically, this species has never ripe and spent. Sex ratio, egg diameter and the been investigated in detail in Ologe lagoon. Study of gonadotropic indices of the ripe fish have been used this species in this lagoon especially aspects of its as an indicator of gonad development. Studies on biology will serve as a baseline data for future studies gonad histology reveals not just mere developmental of this and other fish species in Ologe lagoon. stages of the Gonads but throw more light on Field work and laboratory procedures: 317 spawning activities and periods in individual fish specimens of E. lacerta were collected from the species. This was borne out of the contention that the sampling sites (Figure 1) from the diurnal and reproductive cycle in a fish involves large changes in nocturnal fishing activities. Collections were carried the weight and appearances of gonads. out with cast(22m long with mesh area-size of 2cm) MATERIALS AND METHODS and gill nets (mesh size: 2cm) with assistance of local fishermen on motorized canoes. Description of study sites: Ologe lagoon: Ologe lagoon (Figure 1) in Lagos, Nigeria lies between In laboratory, the biometric data such as body 3002’N 6027’E and 3007’N 6030’E. The Ologe lagoon weight(BW)and total length(TL) measurements; sex meets several socio-economic needs. It sustains and gonad weight(GW) were recorded for each of the thriving artisanal fisheries and serves as a source of specimens. The total length was taken as the water for domestic and industrial uses, transportation, distance from the snout with the mouth closed to the logging and sand dredging (Anetekhai et al, 2005). tip of the tail fin. More importantly, it drains river Owo, into which Length frequency distribution: The specimens partially treated/untreated effluents from the Agbara were grouped into three size groups using their TL industrial estate is discharged. It is a brackish water measurements. Length frequency polygons were also body which opens into the Atlantic Ocean via the plotted from the data obtained from TL Badagry creeks and the Lagos harbor. It is deep in measurements of the fish. The modes or peaks were the centre but shallow at edges, it has a wide used in the determination of age of the species navigable mouth, which makes it easy for fishing. following that of Petersen method. This was checked Ologe lagoon is inhabited by the Awori and Egun with integrated methods of Pauly (1980). tribes. Ologe is bounded in the north by Igbesa and Agbara (in Ogun State), Otto-Awori and Ijanikin towns (in Lagos), west by villages such as Esepe, Mushin, Obele and Araromi-Ale, south by Gbanko village and Badagry creek and in the east by Ikotun, 975 Agric. Biol. J. N. Am., 2010, 1(5): 974-984 Lagos lagoon Lekki lagoon Epe lagoon 0 6 30 Bight of Benin 50E A 60 00 Gulf Of Guinea Otto Bridge 3007’N 6030’E Agbara Ibiye Scale: 1:150,000 Otto Obele 0 0 3 02’N 6 27’E IdoluwoLagoon exit into Badagry creek Gbanko B Figure 1: (A) Map of Badagry Creek and Lagoon Complex – inset: Ologe Lagoon (B) Map of Ologe Lagoon showing the sampling sites (marked with stars). Source: Lagos State University multimedia centre Length-weight measurement: The body weights where L or X = total length of fish in millimeters(mm), were taken on a Harvard triple beam balance to the W or Y = body weight of fish in grammes (g) and nearest tenth of a gram. The length-weight relationship of a fish species was represented by the n=sample size. equation: W = a + bL The correlation coefficient, ‘r’ as: The intercept, ‘a’ was expressed as; [ΣXY - (ΣXY) (ΣY)] a = [ΣY - (b ΣX] n n n /r/ = [ΣX2 - (ΣX)2] [ΣY2 – (ΣY)2 The slope, ‘b’ as: n n b = ΣXY - (ΣX) (ΣY)/n ΣX2 - (b ΣX)2/ n Where L or X = total length of fish in millimeter (mm) 976 Agric. Biol. J. N. Am., 2010, 1(5): 974-984 W or Y = body weight of fish in grammes (g) Reproductive biology: The Gonadosomatic Index (GSI) of the fish was expressed as a percentage of n=number of fish samples gonad weight(GW) to body weight (BW) for the The relationship was transformed into linear form by freshly collected specimens.
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