Fish Diversity of Four Waterways of Left Bank of Alima River in Boundji District, Congo Brazzaville
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
International Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Studies 2020; 8(1): 99-109 E-ISSN: 2347-5129 P-ISSN: 2394-0506 (ICV-Poland) Impact Value: 5.62 Fish diversity of four waterways of left bank of Alima (GIF) Impact Factor: 0.549 IJFAS 2020; 8(1): 99-109 River in Boundji district, Congo Brazzaville © 2019 IJFAS www.fisheriesjournal.com Received: 16-11-2019 Isabelle Mady-Goma Dirat, Anthelme Tsoumou, Louis Regis Dossou- Accepted: 18-12-2019 Yovo, Léon Akoua, Marceline Mikia, Durelle Brith C, Olabi-Obath and Isabelle Mady-Goma Dirat Joseph Vouidibio Research Laboratory of Animal Biology and Ecology, ENS Marine N’ Gouabi University, Abstract Brazzaville, Congo The inventory of the ichthyo fauna of the Alima watershed was carried out in four rivers of Boundji district (Angouewele River, Engondo River, Andouwou River and Amegni River). Fishes were captured Anthelme Tsoumou with cast nets, gill nets, rotenone and drain fishing shows a species richness of 52 species, belonging to Research Laboratory of Animal 36 genus, 21 families and 10 orders. Three orders were more represented in all rivers: Siluriformes Biology and Ecology, ENS (31%), Osteoglossiformes (28%) and Characiformes (11.32%). Mormyridae (20.75%), Cichlidae Marine N’ Gouabi University, (9.48%) and Claroteidae (9.44%) were the most common families. The Mormyridae was the most Brazzaville, Congo diversified with 11 species. Angouewele, Amegni and Engondo have the most diversified and balanced populations with diversity index values between 3.24 and 3.96 and equitability between 0.71 and 0.81. Louis Regis Dossou-Yovo Andouwou on the other hand, was the least diversified with 2.97 and an equitability of 0.66. The Research Laboratory of Animal presence of species such as Pollymyrus sp., Raïamas chrysti, Raïamas buchholzi, Mastacembelus sp. Biology and Ecology, ENS more oxygen consumers, proves that the waters of these courses are still of good quality. The fish Marine N’ Gouabi University, Brazzaville, Congo inventories must continue on the middle and upper courses of the Alima River. Léon Akoua Keywords: Boundji district, Congo basin, biodiversity, Shannon index, equitability Research Laboratory of Animal Biology and Ecology, ENS 1. Introduction Marine N’ Gouabi University, An astonishing diversity of freshwater fish species is found in Africa, however, 21% of Brazzaville, Congo continental African freshwater species are threatened with extinction [1]. The ichthyofauna of Marceline Mikia the right bank of the Congo Basin is poorly known. The Congo basin is the subject of very few Research Laboratory of Animal studies, especially on its right bank. Indeed, poorly known Congolese aquatic ecosystems are Biology and Ecology, ENS threatened by population growth and deforestation [2]. Also, intensive fisheries and other Marine N’ Gouabi University, natural disturbances (drought and silting) or anthropogenic (erection of dams, pollution, Brazzaville, Congo reduction of habitat). In Congo, the potential for inland fisheries has been estimated at more [3] Durelle Brith C than 100,000 tons per year . The quantity of freshwater fish caught in the Cuvette [3] Faculty of Sciences and Department is about 13,000 tons . These scarce studies, prove that the ichthyofauna of the Techniques, Marine N’ Gouabi tributaries of the right bank of the Congo basin must be better investigated to help better University, Brazzaville, Congo management. The information available is the extensive systematic work [4, 5]. A few partial studies, mostly old, were carried out on Alima River, Sangha River [6, 7] and the right bank of Olabi-Obath [8] Faculty of Sciences and Middle Congo . Later, Later, preliminary observations have been made in some rivers on the [9] Techniques, Marine N’ Gouabi right bank of Congo basin : in Likouala aux Herbes River and Lake Tele ; in Mambili River University, Brazzaville, Congo in Odzala National Park [10]; on the lower course of Alima River [11]; in Likouala aux Herbes [12]; in Lefini River [13]; in Djiri River [14]; in Tsieme River [15]; in the right bank of Malebo Pool Joseph Vouidibio [2, 16]; in Mfilou River and the Djoue River [17, 18]; in Komo River [19]; in Dzoumouna River and Faculty of Sciences and [20, 21] Techniques, Marine N’ Gouabi Loua River . Therefore, the present study has conducted to know ichthyologic diversity of University, Brazzaville, Congo the Alima watershed of four rivers in Boundji district. Moreover, the species richness was determined according to different fishing techniques useddevelopment, status of digestion ability is a mystery. Therefore, a good understanding of fish. Corresponding Author: Isabelle Mady-Goma Dirat 2. Materials and Methods Research Laboratory of Animal 2.1 Presentation of the study environment Biology and Ecology, ENS The district of Boundji is located in the Cuvette Department. Its area is 2600 km² for a Marine N’ Gouabi University, population of 11695 inhabitants; a density of 4.41 inhabitants / km² (Anonymous, 1980). Brazzaville, Congo ~ 99 ~ International Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Studies http://www.fisheriesjournal.com It is, limited to the northwest by Owando District, to the east waterway is located at 15 ° 20.299 East and 0.03309 South, by Ewo District, to the south by Okoyo District and to the this point located next to the bridge, as shown in Figure 3. west by Abala District. Boundji District is located about 120 Engondo is a small village located at 15 Km from Boundji on km southwest of Owando and 50 km west of the National the Okoyo road, the fishing site on Engondo River (Station 2) Road Number 2 connecting Brazzaville to Ouesso, as shown is located two kilometres from the village: 015 ° 17.487 East in Figure 1. The waterways explored in this study are the and 01 ° 03.637 South. The fishing site on Andouwou River tributaries of the Alima basin. They flow through the forest, (station 3) is located one kilometre from the village Odikango, their dimensions including width and depth are variable, 15 ° 15.936 East and 1 ° 04903 South, between Odikango depending on the season. The average width does not exceed village and Engondo village, which are separated by 10 ten (10) meters. The depth varies between sixty 0.6 meters in kilometers. Like other rivers, Andouwou fishing site serves the dry season and 1.20 meters in the rainy season. These four both as a place for retting cassava and bathing. It flows rivers (Angouewele, Engondo, Andouwou, and Amegni) were through a ridiculous forest. The last fishing site is on Amegni selected according to their accessibility. The fishing site on River (station 4), 10 kilometers from Odikango village, has Angouewele River (Station 1) is located just outside the town not been georeferenced. of Boundji, going on the Okoyo road. This fishing site on this Fig 1: Representative map of the study area (Kempena, 2019) 2.2 Physico-chemical parameters (one species) and maximum when all species have equal Four physico-chemical parameters of surface water (pH, frequencies. The boundaries of this index vary with the temperature, conductivity and TDS) were measured using a species richness (S) and the frequencies (pi) that are not actual multipara meter brand Combo. frequencies in the stand. The equitability which is the ratio of the real diversity to the 2.3 Sampling and fish conservation maximum diversity was calculated. It is represented by the Fishes caught using cash nets, gillnets, rotenone and drain following formula: fishing, were fixed with formalin 10% and then stored in formalin 5% or alcohol 70%. The fish identification was made using the keys determination proposed by different authors [22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30]. H max: lnS; 2.4 Diversity indexes H ': real diversity; The species richness study has made it possible to calculate H max: maximum diversity; the diversity of the populations of fishes caught [31]. For this, S: species number. we used the Shannon-Weaver index (H'). H' = - pi Log2 pi 2.5 Similarity index pi = Ni / N T Duellman's similarity index allows us to say whether the Ni: number of species I; ichthyofaunic groupings of the four waterways studied belong N : total population size. T to the same animal community. This is the measure of the The Shannon-Weaver index measures indeterminacy in the degree of similarity of the different waterways. It is given by population structure. It is zero if the determination is complete the formula: ~ 100 ~ International Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Studies http://www.fisheriesjournal.com 2.6 Statistical analysis A Cluster analysis based on Euclidean distance is performed from the species richness - rivers matrix to identify A: total number of species in group 1 similarities between the different rivers. B: total number of species in group 2 C: total number of species common to both groups. 3. Results and discussion If K is greater than 50%, the compared groupings represent 3.1 Physico-chemical parameters of surface water the same community. Some physico-chemical parameters of surface water were recorded (Table 1). Table 1: Physico-chemical parameters of surface water Dry season Rainy season Waterway T °C pH Cond μS/cm TDS T °C pH Angouewele 26,6 5,97 1,8 0,66 28,5 6 Engondo 26,6 5,5 - - 27,7 6,1 Andouwou 25,6 5,60 1 0 27,5 6,2 Amegni 25,8 5,65 - - 27,8 6 The temperature of the surface water varies according to the indicates a low mineralization of the soils of the study area. seasons, the low temperatures are observed in dry season Low values of pH, conductivity and TDS were also found in where the temperature varies between 25, 8 °C and 26,6 °C. several tributaries of the right bank of the Congo basin [32]. They vary between 27.5 °C and 28.5 °C in the rainy season.