International E-publication: Publish Projects, Dissertation, Theses, Books, Souvenir, Conference Proceeding with ISBN.  International E-Bulletin: Information/News regarding: Academics and Research

Species Richness and Diversity of Ichthyofaunal communities of the Lower Cross River floodplain, Nigeria

Author Affiliations

  • 1Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Environmental Management, University of Uyo, P.M.B. 1017, Uyo - 520001, NIGERIA

Int. Res. J. Environment Sci., Volume 2, Issue (7), Pages 5-14, July,22 (2013)

Abstract

The ichthyofaunal composition of the floodplains of the Lower Cross River was investigated and compared in order to promote its management. A total of 5211 fish were sampled for 12 consecutive months from commercial landings of artisanal fishers from three sampling stations. We estimate 77 species distributed into 52 genera, 29 families and 9 orders, both of freshwater (88.66%) and euryhaline (marine intrusive) fishes (11.34%), with averagely 1-3 species per genus. The fishes composed mainly Perciformes, the least being Polypteriformes and Clupeiformes.. The five most abundant fish families are the Bagridae &

References

  1. Hillary A., Kokkonen M. and Max L., eds., Proceedings of the World Heritage Marine Biodiversity Workshop, Hanoi, Viet Nam, February 25 – March 1, 2002, UNESCO World Heritage Centre, Paris, 92 (2003)
  2. Ita E.O., Inland fishery resources of Nigeria CIFA Occasional Paper No. 20, FAO, Rome, 120 (1993)
  3. Obasohan E.E. and Oronsanye J.A.O., Biodiversity and sustainability of freshwater fishes in Nigeria, In Ansa, E. J., Anyanwu P.E., Ayonoadu B.W., Erondu E.S., Beekae S.N., eds. Proceedings of the 20th Annual conference of the Fisheries Society of Nigeria, Port Harcourt, 14 – 18 Nov. 2005, 230-237 (2006)
  4. Federal Ministry of Environment, FMOE, Fourth National Biodiversity Report, Federal Ministry of Environment, Abuja, 79 (2010)
  5. MosesB.S., The influence of flood regime on fish catch and fish communities of the Cross River floodplain ecosystem, Nigeria, Environmental Biology of Fishes,18, 51-65 (1987)
  6. Moses B.S., The Cross River: its ecology and fisheries. In: Proceedings of the International Conference on Kainji Lake and River Basins Development in Africa, Kainji Lake Research Institute (K.L.R.I), New Bussa, 366-371 (1979)
  7. Ajayi T.O., Notes on the identification of marine fishes found in the Nigeria coastal waters. Nigerian Institute of Oceanographic and Marine Research (NIOMR) Occasional Paper No. 25, Lagos, 70 (1979)
  8. Edwards A.J., Gill C. and Abohweyere P.O., A revision of Irvine’s Marine Fishes of Tropical West Africa, Darwin Initiative Report 2. Ref: 162/7/451, 157 (2001)
  9. Watson J.D. and Balon E.K., Ecomorphological analysis of fish taxocene of rainforest streams of Northern Borneo,Journal of Fish Biology25371-384 (1984)
  10. Watson J.D. and Balon E.K., Structure and production of fish communities in tropical rainforest streams of Northern Borneo, Canadian Journal of Zoology,62, 927-940 (1984)
  11. Shanon C.E. and Weaver W., The Mathematical Theory of Communication. University of Illinois Press, Urbana, 117 (1963)
  12. Margalef R., Perspectives in ecological theory, University of Chicago Press, Chicago, 111 (1968)
  13. Pielou E.C., An introduction to Mathematical Ecology, John Wiley and Sons, New York, 101-111 (1969)
  14. Mandal R.N. and Naskar K.R., Diversity and classification of Indian mangroves: a review, Tropical Ecology,49(2),131-146 (2008)
  15. Hugueny B., West African Rivers as biogeographic islands: species richness of fish communities, Oceanologia,79, 236-243 (1989)
  16. Daget J. and Iltis A.,Les poissons de Cóte d'Ivoire (eaux douces et eaux saumâtres), Mém lnst Fr Afr Noire,741-385 (1965)
  17. Reid J.C., Preliminary observation of some smaller fish of the freshwater of Calabar area, In: Proceedings of the 2ndannual conference of the Fisheries Society of Nigeria (FISON), Calabar, 25-25 June 1982, 244-252 (1982)
  18. Teugels G.G., Reid G. Mc R. and King R.P., Fishes of the Cross River Basin (Cameroun - Nigeria), Taxonomy, zoogeography, ecology and conservation, Annale Science Zoologique 266, 1-132 (1992)
  19. Lowenberge U. and Kunzel T., Investigations on the trawl fishery in the Cross River estuary, Nigeria, Journal of Applied Ichthyology,7(1), 44-53 (2007)
  20. Fagade S.O. and Olaniyan C.I.O., The food and feeding interrelationship of fishes in the Lagos lagoon, Journal of Fish Biology,, 205-225 (1973)
  21. Moses B.S., The status of artisanal fisheries and fish resources conservation in South-eastern Nigeria, Transactions of Nigeria Society of Biological Conservation,, 43-60 (1990)
  22. Moses B.S., The hydroregime on catch, abundance and recruitment of the catfish, Chrysichthys nigrodigitatus – (Bagridae) and bonga, Ethmalosa fimbriata (Clupeidae) of South Eastern Nigeria’s inshore waters, Environmental Biology of Fishes,61, 99-109 (2001)
  23. Udoh E.E., Studies on the occurrences, distribution, growth, mortality and potential yield of catfish of the genus Chrysichthys inthe Cross River system, Nigeria, M.Sc. Thesis, University of Uyo, Uyo, 371-384 (1994)
  24. Livingstone D.A., Rowland M. and Bailey P.E., Onthe size of African riverine fish faunas, Am Zoo1.,22, 361-369 (1982)
  25. Ramirez A. and Pringle C.M., Spatial and temporal patterns of invertebrate drift in streams draining a neotropical landscape, Freshwater Biology,46, 47-62 (2001)
  26. Covich A.P., Geographical and historical comparisons of neotropical streams: biotic diversity and detrital processing in highly variable habitats, Journal of North American Benthological Society,7, 361-386 (1988)
  27. Vannote R.L., Minshall G.W., Cummins K.W., Sedell J.R. and Cushing C.E., The river continuum concept, Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences,37,130-137 (1980)
  28. Moses B.S., Udoidiong O.M. and Okon A.O., A statistical survey of the artisanal fisheries of South-eastern Nigeria and the influence of hydroclimatic factors on catch and resource productivity, Fisheries Research,52,267-278 (2002)