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Current ichthyofaunal survey of Otamiri River, Imo State, Nigeria


S.O. Ohaturuonye
C.N. Nwuka
J.I. Ukagwu

Abstract

Study on the Ichthyofaunal composition of Otamiri River, Imo State was carried out from June 2016 to March 2017. A total of 2,453 fishes belonging to 5 orders, 18 families, 46 genera, and 79 species were sampled from 5 landing sites by artisanal fishermen using different fishing gears. Mormyridae had the highest percentage in terms of species (20.6%) while Pantodontidae had the least percentage (0.9%). Mormyridae also recorded the highest percentage weight (18.2%) while Pantodontidae had the least fish weight (0.2%). Mormyridae was the most abundant with 19 species and 505 samples. Pantodontidae, Gymnarchidae, Arapaimidae and Hepsetidae were the least families having a single species and 21, 34, 38 and 41 fish samples respectively. Hemichromis fasciatus was the most dominant fish species (2.5%) while Petrocephalus banebane was the least with 0.3%. Parachanna obscura had the highest index of preponderance value of 11.8% while Ctenopoma kingsleyae, Petrocephalus bane bane, Petrocephalus soudanensis, Pollimyrus isidori isidori, Bryconaethiops quiquesquamae and Rhabdalestes septentrionalis had the least value (0.1%). The values of Simpson dominant and index were 0.01 and 0.99 respectively. Monthly catch records revealed the highest fish catch in the month of January with 12.7% of total catch while the months of October and March had the least percentage at 7.8% each.


Key Words: Ichthyofaunal, order, family, genera and species.


Journal Identifiers


eISSN: 1727-9364
print ISSN: 1608-5914