Auchenoglanis Biscutatus) from Lower River Benue, Makurdi

Asian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Research

1(3): 1-5, 2018; Article no.AJFAR.42420

Food and Feeding Habits of Black Spot Cat Fish (Auchenoglanis biscutatus) from Lower River Benue, Makurdi

Edem, Edem Thomas1* and Patience B. Opeh2

1Fisheries and Aquaculture Programme, Department of Zoology and Environmental Biology, University of Calabar, P.M.B. 1115, Calabar, Cross River State, Nigeria. 2Fisheries and Aquaculture Unit, Institute of Oceanography, University of Calabar, Calabar, Nigeria.

Authors’ contributions

This work was carried out in collaboration between both authors. Author EET designed the study, performed the statistical analysis, wrote the protocol and first draft of the manuscript. Author PBO managed the analyses of the study. Author EET managed the literature searches. Both authors read and approved the final manuscript.

Article Information

DOI: 10.9734/AJFAR/2018/v1i3321 Editor(s): (1) Matheus Ramalho de Lima, Professor, Federal University of South of Bahia, Brazil. Reviewers: (1) Bruno Fiorelini Pereira, University of west of Bahia, Brazil. (2) Riccardo Caprioli, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell’Abruzzo e del Molise “G. Caporale”, Italy. Complete Peer review History: http://www.sciencedomain.org/review-history/25804

Received 9th May 2018 st Original Research Article Accepted 21 July 2018 Published 7th August 2018

ABSTRACT

The present study is aimed to provide information on the food and feeding habit of adult Auchenoglanis biscutatus in Lower River Benue. The natural food of A. biscutatus in the Lower River Benue was studied from stomach contents of the fish. The stomach contents were analyzed using two methods; the frequency of occurrence and point methods. A total of 100 stomachs were randomly examined. Eleven major items constituted the diet of A. biscutatus. The stomach content analysis of A. biscutatus have shown that they fed on the various food items ranging from plant parts, detritus, seeds, digested food particles, fish parts, mollusc, sand/mud, insect parts and algae. This indicates that A. biscutatus is an omnivorous bottom feeder since; bottom dwelling immature insects dominated most of the food items of animal origin, digested food and detritus. A. biscutatus in Lower Benue River feeds on a wide range of food items which could make it to be regarded as an omnivore. Future attempts to culture this species must take cognizance of its food habits in the wild.

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*Corresponding author: Email: [email protected];

Thomas and Opeh; AJFAR, 1(3): 1-5, 2018; Article no.AJFAR.42420

Keywords: Auchenoglanis biscutatus; food and feeding habits; Lower River Benue.

1. INTRODUCTION increases; however, the rate of food consumed increases per individual [5]. The dietary habits of Studies on the feeding habits of fish are useful in fish, based on stomach analyses, are widely positioning species in a food web in the used in fish ecology as an important method to environment which will equally help in investigate tropic relationships in aquatic formulating management strategy options in communities [6]. The nutritive value of this fish multispecies fishery [1]. Fishery scientists have family is derived from the flesh which has a high established that the relationship between fish moisture content, oil, carbohydrate, lipid, protein body structures and diets can help in predicting and calcium [7]. The bagrid catfishes are among its diet, feeding habit and mechanism of feeding the dominant fish families in Nigerian waters [1,2]. contributing enormously to landing [8].

The knowledge of the food and feeding habits of 2. MATERIALS AND METHODS fishes provide answers to practical problems which arise in relation to human exploitations. 2.1 Study Area Niskolsky [3], found that the primary problems posed in the study of the fish feeding This study was carried out in Makurdi, the capital habits is to have a broad knowledge of the of Benue state of Nigeria. The state is bounded different species of prey in order to by Taraba to the East, Nassarawa to the North, understand the qualitative and quantitative Kogi to the West, Enugu to the southeast and bridge between fish and their food organism. Cross River to the South. This area lies between The study of the food and feeding habits of latitude and longitude 7.7322N and 8.5391E. freshwater fish species is a subject of River Benue, as the second largest river in continuous research because it constitutes the Nigeria, has great influence on the commercial basis for the development of a successful activities of the area. Inhabitants of the river take fisheries management programme on fish fishing as a means of livelihood because of the capture and culture [4]. The feeding rate numerous and diverse fish that abound in the relative to the body weight decreases as fish size River.

Fig. 1. Map showing River Benue

Thomas and Opeh; AJFAR, 1(3): 1-5, 2018; Article no.AJFAR.42420

2.2 Collections of Samples identified using keys [9,10]. The frequency of occurrence is the number of times a particular The fish specimens used for the study were food item occurred in the stomach is counted and obtained from the fish landing site at Wadata expressed as a percentage of the total number of Market in Makurdi, Benue state. About 100 A. stomachs with food (empty stomachs excluded). biscutatus were randomly sampled monthly (July This is expressed as: – September 2013) throughout the study period and usually in the morning between 7:00 am to 9:00 am. Collected samples were fixed in an ice chest and moved to the department of fisheries and aquaculture laboratory where they were This method presents the food spectrum of the serially numbered before measurements of species. Hence, the importance of the food items Length and weight. relative to the population of the species could probably be guessed. 2.3 Sample Measurement 3. RESULTS Total length (TL), were measured in centimeter (cm) using a measuring board. This was taken 3.1 The Food Composition of Blackspot from the tip of the anterior-most part of the snout Catfish (A. biscutatus) from the Lower to the tip of caudal fin for total length. River Benue

Laboratory procedure: In the laboratory, each Variation in the empty stomach by size group specimen was dissected to remove the gut. The entire stomach of the fishes was removed and (Table 1) indicated that the small size group of O. biscutatus had the highest number of empty graded according to fullness. The graded stomachs (8.51%), while the medium sized group stomach of each specimen was dissected had (6.25%) and the large sized group had no lengthwise and emptied into a petri-dish for empty stomach. The relative contributions of the examination and identification. Each stomach food items are expressed by the frequency of content was dispersed with a small amount of occurrence and point methods. A total of 100 distilled water; sub-samples were taken from the stomachs were randomly examined. Eleven stock and observed under a stereo zoom major items constituted the diet of A. biscutatus. binocular dissecting microscope.

In Frequency of occurrence analysis detritus Point method: The point method involves were dominant and composed of 48.10% of the scoring points to different food items depending items in the stomach, digested food items made on their numbers and sizes, one large organism up 46.84%, while seeds made up 44.30%, being equivalent to many small organisms. All sand/mud 40.51%, insect parts 26.58%, fish part the points accumulated by each food item were 25.32%,plants part and algae 25.31%. Mollusk summed-up and expressed as a percentage of was the least with 25.0% (Fig. 1). the total number of points accumulated by all the food items as follows: In point analysis seeds were dominant and composed of 27.19% of the items in the stomach, detritus made up 17.62%, while plant part was 15.44%, digested food 11.98%, insect The frequency of occurrence method: Here, parts 9.07%, sand. Mud 8.06%. Algae and food items occurring in each of the stomachs mollusc were the least with 2.69 and 0.67% were examined. The food organisms were respectively (Fig. 2).

Table 1. Variation of the empty stomach by the size of Blackspot catfish (A. biscutatus) from the Lower River Benue

Size/total length (cm) Number Number with the empty %-tage stomach examined stomach Small size(17.2 –20.3) 47 4 8.51 Medium size (20.4 – 23.5) 32 2 6.25 Large size (23.6 – 26.7) 21 - -

Thomas and Opeh; AJFAR, 1(3): 1-5, 2018; Article no.AJFAR.42420

Fig. 2. Frequency of occurrence of food items in the stomach of Blackspot Catfish (A. biscutatus) from Lower River Benue

Fig. 3. Point method of food items in the stomach of Blackspot Catfish (A. biscutatus) from Lower River Benue

4. DISCUSSION Meye and Ikomi [11] reported that food habits of A. biscutatus were not remarkably different in the The stomach content analysis of A. biscutatus dry and rainy season but the low mean feeding has shown that they fed on the various food intensity per fish gained during the dry season items ranging from plant parts, detritus, seeds, months (January to April) could be due to digested food particles, fish parts, mollusc, moderate availability of food items which sand/mud, insect parts and algae. This indicates augmented intraspecific competition. This that A. biscutatus is an omnivorous bottom observation was also supported by the high feeder since; bottom dwelling immature insects percentage of empty stomach recorded for this and mollusk dominated most of the food items of species during the dry season months. Similar, animal origin. low feeding intensity in the dry season months was recorded for A. occidentalis in Zaria, Nigeria The broad food spectrum of A. biscutatus by Onimisi et al. [12]. The dry season months suggests that it feeds on or near the substratum. (January to April) corresponds to the period of an The sand grains which contributed substantially inadequate food supply. On the other hand, the to stomach contents might have been high feeding intensity in the months of May to accidentally ingested along with other food items October coincides with the rains which bring in but the contribution to the nutrition of the species allochthonous materials through the flood as it is is not quite clear. However, it could be assumed known with most tropical rivers [13]. that bacteria and protozoa associated with sand grains may be of nutritional benefit in terms of Diet variations in food habits showed that A. aiding in the digestion of cellulose. Other food biscutatus fed both during day and night. items such as cladocera, ostracoda and rotifers Therefore, it could be said that light is not a were mainly supplementary. limiting factor in its search for food. Similar

Thomas and Opeh; AJFAR, 1(3): 1-5, 2018; Article no.AJFAR.42420

findings have been reported for this species and 5. Wang J, Flickinger SA, Be K, Liu Y, Xu H. other bagrids by Ajayi [14,15]. Daily food consumption and feeding rhythm of silver carp, Hypophthalmichthys 5. CONCLUSION molitrix, during fry to fingerling period. Aquaculture. 1989;83:73-79. Auchenoglanis biscutatus in Lower Benue River 6. Fagbenro O, Adedire CO, Ayotunde EO, feeds on a wide range of food ranging from Faminu EO. Haematological profile, food plants and animal food items which could make it composition and digestive enzyme assay be regarded as an omnivore. Future attempts to in the gut of the African bony tongue, culture this species must take cognizance of its Heterotis (Clupisudis) niloticus (Cuvier food habits in the wild. 1829) (Osteoglossidae). Tropical Zoology. 2000;13:1-9. DISCLAIMER 7. Abdullahi SA. Investigation of nutritional status of Chrysichthysnigrodigitatus, This study has been conducted from July 2013 to Bagrus filamentous and Auchenoglanis September 2013. Normally to understand the occidentalis: Family Bagridae. Journal of food habit of black spot cat fish, a longer duration Arid Zone Fisheries. 2001;1:39-50. (3 to 5 years) study is recommended. This is the 8. Idodo-Umeh G. The feeding ecology of limitation of this research paper. bagrid species in River Ase, Niger Delta, Southern Nigeria. Trop. Freshwater Biol. ETHICAL APPROVAL 2002;11:47-68. 9. Yoloye VLA. Basic invertebrate zoology. As per international standard or university 3rd Edn., Codes and Quantal Publications, standard written ethical permission has been Lagos, Nigeria, Pages. 1994;320. collected and preserved by the authors. 10. Wiafe G, Frid CI. Marine zooplankton of West Africa. Darwin initiative Report No. COMPETING INTERESTS 2001;5:1-120. 11. Meye JA, Ikomi RB. Food and Feeding Authors have declared that no competing Habit of Auchenoglanis biscutatus (Geofy interests exist. St Hillarie, 1827) in River Orogodo, Delta state, Nigeria. Journal of Fisheries REFERENCES International. 2010;5(4):67-71. 12. Onimisi H, Oniye XT, Balogun K, Aken T. 1. Malami GZ. Ipinjolu JK, Hassan WA, Food and feeding habits of Auchenoglanis Magawata I. Food and feeding habit of occidentalis (Vallenciennce, 1840) in Zaria, freshwater mornyrid (Hyperopisus bebe Nigeria. Zoologist. 2009;7:57-64. occidentalis) in river Rima and Goronnyo 13. Tejerina-Garro F, Merrona B. Flow Dam, Nigeria, Lagos. 2007;128-134. seasonality and fishassemblage in a 2. Miller SH, Harley JP. Zoology. McGraw Hill tropical river, French Guiana, South Publishing Co; Boston. 2002;504. America. Neotrop. Ichythyol. 2010;8:1-16. 3. Niskolsky GV. The ecology of fishes. 14. Ajayi O. The biological studies on the Academic Press London. 1963;352. family bagridae (Pisces, Siluroidei) in Lake 4. Oronsaye CG, Nakpodia FA. A Kainji, Nigeria. M.Phil. Thesis, University of comparative study of the food and feeding Ife, Nigeria. 1972;3. habits of Chrysichthys nigrodigitatus and 15. Idodo-Umeh G, Victor R. Some aspects of Brycinus nurse in a tropical river. Pakistan the ecology of bagrid catfishes in a Journal of Science Industrial Research. Southern Nigerian river. J. Trop. Ecol. 2005;48:118-121. 1991;7:221-232.

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