Structure and diversity of fish communities in man-made ponds of the Niger Delta (southern Nigeria)
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.2478/eje-2018-0015Keywords:
Ichthyofauna, Floodplain ponds, Species diversity, Conservation, Engenni, Niger DeltaAbstract
1. A survey of eight local earthen hand-dug ponds located within the freshwater swamps of a Niger Delta area (southern Nigeria) was conducted over a period of 3 months. A total of 4,313 fishes representing 19 species from 12 families were recorded.
2. The most abundant species was Xenomystus nigri (905 individuals), whereas the least common was Protopterus annectens (13). Cichlidae and Clariidae counted three species each, whereas Anabantidae, Hepsetidae, Mochokidae, Protopteridae, Phractolaemidae, Malapteruridae and Gymnarchidae were represented by a single species each.
3. A lotic species, Synodontis sp., was recorded possibly as a result of the episodic flood of 2012.
4. The Engenni swamps harbour a moderately diverse ichthyofauna. Regulations should be put in place to further enhance the fisheries potential of these local ponds.
References
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Rivers State University of Science and Technology, Port Harcourt,
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Science and Technology, Port Harcourt, Nigeria, 45 pages.
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doi:10.1111/aje.12176
Albaret J.J., Simier M., Darboe F.S. et al. (2004) Fish diversity and distribution
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Niger Delta. Journal of Biological Sciences, 2, 53-61.
Amadi, N., Petrozzi, F., Akani, G.C., Dendi, D., Fakae, B.B., Luiselli, L.,
Pacini, N. (2019) Freshwater fishes of Lower Guinean forest
streams: Aquaculture heavily impacts the structure and diversity
of communities. Acta Oecol., 94, 66-102.
Carr, J., Hughes, A., Foden, W. (2014) A climate change vulnerability assessment
of West African species. PARCC, IUCN, Cambridge.
Chinda, A. C., Osuamkpe A. (1994) The fish assemblage of lower Bonny
River Niger Delta, Nigeria. African Journal of Ecology, 72, 58–65.
Daniel, D.H. Vicky, J.C. Ashley, S.H. Mark, A.T. Caroline, A.G. Payne, A.I.,
Robin, L.W. (1999) Management guidelines for Asian floodplain
river fisheries. Part 2. Summary of DFID research. FAO Fisheries
Technical Paper 117 pages.
Edoghotu J. A. (2015) Fishes and fishers of Kugbo creek. Ph.D. Thesis
University of Port – Harcourt, Department of Animal and Environmental
Biology, Rivers State, Nigeria.
Edoghotu, J. A., George, U.U., Hart, A.I. (2016) The ichthyofaunal and
physico-chemical parameters of Kugbo Creek, Niger Delta. New
York Science Journal, 9(4), 65-74.
Ekpo, I. E., Udoh J. P. (2013) Species richness and diversity of ichthyofaunal
communities of the lower Cross river flood plain Nigeria.
Intl Res J. Environment sciences 2 (7), 5- 14.
Elaikhame, L. A., Sikoki, F.D. (1999) Observations on the ecology of Hepsetus
odoe (Bloch 1974) in Epie creek floodplain, Niger Delta.
In: 16th Annual Conference of the Fisheries Society of Nigeria
(FISON) , 4-9 November 2001 ,Maiduguri, Nigeria, pp. 148-155
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rivers in Odiokwu – Ekpeye, Riverstate, Nigeria, M.Sc. Thesis
University of Port-Harcourt, Rivers State. Department of Animal
and Environmental Biology.
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New York.
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Ltd., London.
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of the lower and upper reaches of New Calabar River,
River State, Niger Delta, Nigeria. Journal of Environment and
Earth Science, 6, 186-197.
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notes, diet and Utilization). Idodo–Umeh publishers, Benin
city, Niger Delta Nigeria, 122 pages.
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of an African river floodplain: a test of alternative
models of community structure. Ecology of Freshwater Fishes,
22, 295–306.
Laë, R. (1995) Climatic and anthropogenic effects on fish diversity and
fish yields in the Central Delta of the Niger River. Aquatic Living
Resources, 8, 43-58.
Lévêque, C., Paugy, D. (2006) Les poissons des eaux continentales africaines:
diversité, écologie, utilisation par l’homme. Institut de
Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), Paris.
Lévêque, C.O., Paugy, D., Teugels G.G. (1991) The fresh and brackish
water fishes of West Africa. Vol. 1. Museum Royale de 1’Afrique
Centrale. Tervuren, Belgique, Editions de 1’ ORSTROM, pp. 384.
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community structure and conservation of Niger Delta mammals.
Biodiversity and Conservation, 24:2809-2830.
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University Press, Princeton, NY.
Mallon, D.P., Hoffmann, M., Grainger, M.J., Hibert, F., van Vliet, N.,
McGowan, P.J.K. (2015) Analyse de situation de l’UICN concernant
la faune terrestre et d’eau douce en Afrique centrale et de
l’Ouest. Document occasionnel de la Commission de la sauvegarde
des espèces de l’UICN nº 54. UICN, Gland, Switzerland. x
+162 pp.
Mann, K.H. (2009) Fundamentals of Aquatic Ecology, Second Edition.
Wiley, New York.
Mmom, P. C., Aifesehi, P.E. (2016) Impact of the 2012 flood on water
quality and rural livelihood in the Orashi Province of the Niger
Delta, Nigeria. Journal of Geography and Geology, 5(3), 216-225.
Moses, B.S. (1992) Introduction to tropical fisheries. Ibadan University
Press, Ibadan, Nigeria.
Niger Delta Environmental Survey (1998) NDES Vol. 1 Environmental
and Socioeconomic Characteristics. NDES Press, Port Harcourt,
p. 658.
Nwadiaro, C. S. (1989) Icthyofaunal of lake Oguta a shallow lake in
southern Nigeria. Arch. Hydrobiol., 115, 463–475.
Nwadiaro, C.S. (1984) The Longitudinal distribution of Macro–invertebrate
and fish in Lower Niger Delta (Sombreiro River) Nigeria.
Hydrobiol Bull., 18, 133–140.
Olson, D.M., Dinerstein, E. (1998) The Global 200: a representation
approach to conserving the Earth’s most biologically valuable
ecoregions. Conserv. Biol., 12, 502-515.
Osuamkpe, A.(2014) Response of fish assemblages to biophysical characteristics
of the Lower Orashi River”. Ph.D. Thesis, Department
Of Animal And Environmental Biology, University of Port Harcourt
River State Nigeria, pp. 183.
Reed, W., Burchard, T., Hopson, A. J., Jennes, J., Yaro, I. (1967) Fish and
fisheries of Northern Nigeria. Abuja, Nigeria, Ministry of Agriculture,
pp. 226.
Reid, G. M., Sydenham, D.H.J. (1979) A checklist of the lower Benue
River West Africa. J. Natural History, 13, 14-67.
Roberts, T.R., Kullander, S.O. (1994) Endemic cichlid fishes of the Fwa
River, Zaïre: behaviour and ecology. Ichthyol. Explor. Freshwat.,
5, 97-154.
Sikoki, F. D., Hart, A.I., Abowei, J.F.N. (1998) Gill net selectivity and fish
Abundance in Lower Nun River. Nigeria. Journal of applied science
and environmental management, 1, 13–19.
Sydenham, D. H. (1975) Observation on the fish population of a Nigerian
forest stream Revue Zool. Afri., 1975, 257- 272.
Teugels, G., Powell, C.B. (2005) The Niger Delta in Nigeria: A hotspot
and a crossroad for freshwater fish biodiversity. In: Thieme M.L.,
Abell R., Stiassny M.L.J., Skelton P., Lehner B., Teugels G.G., Dinerstein
E., Kamdem Toham A., Burgess N., Olson D. [eds.] Freshwater
Ecoregions of Africa and Madagascar: A Conservation Assessment.
WWF. Island Press, Washington, DC, 431 pages.
Thieme, M.L., Abell, R., Stiassny, M.L.J., Skelton, P., Lehner, B., Teugels,
G.G., Dinerstein, E., Kamdem Toham, A., Burgess, N., Olson, D.
[eds.] (2005) Freshwater Ecoregions of Africa and Madagascar:
A Conservation Assessment. WWF. Island Press, Washington,
DC, 431 pages.
Von Chi-Bonnardel (1973) The Atlas of Africa. Free Press- Macmillian,
New York
Welcomme, R.L. (2001) Inland fisheries: ecology and management. FAO
Fishing New Books, Blackwell Science, FAO, Rome, 358 pages.
White, F. (1983) The Vegetation of Africa, UNESCO Press, New York.
Ph.D., Thesis, Department of Applied and Environmental Biology,
Rivers State University of Science and Technology, Port Harcourt,
Nigeria, 180 pages.
Akari, E. J. (1992) Identification of common fresh water fishes of a
stretch of Orashi river HND project, Rivers State University of
Science and Technology, Port Harcourt, Nigeria, 45 pages.
Akani, G.C., Aifesehi, P.E.E., Petrozzi, F., Luiselli, L. (2014b) Aspects
of community ecology of reptiles in the swamp forests of the
Upper Orashi Forest Reserve (Niger Delta, Nigeria). Afr J Ecol.,
doi:10.1111/aje.12176
Albaret J.J., Simier M., Darboe F.S. et al. (2004) Fish diversity and distribution
in the Gambia Estuary, West Africa, in relation to environmental
variables. Aquat. Living Resour., 17, 35–46.
Alfred-Ockiya, J. F. (1998) Studies on the Ichthyofauna of Kolo Creek,
Rivers State Nigeria. Departmental Paper, Department of Fisheries
Technology, University of Science and Technology Riverstate.
8 pages.
Allison, M.E., Gabriel, U., Inko–Tariah, M.B, Davies, O.A., Uedeme–Naa,
G.B. (2007) The fish assemblage of Elechi Creek, Riverstate. Nigeria.
Niger Delta. Journal of Biological Sciences, 2, 53-61.
Amadi, N., Petrozzi, F., Akani, G.C., Dendi, D., Fakae, B.B., Luiselli, L.,
Pacini, N. (2019) Freshwater fishes of Lower Guinean forest
streams: Aquaculture heavily impacts the structure and diversity
of communities. Acta Oecol., 94, 66-102.
Carr, J., Hughes, A., Foden, W. (2014) A climate change vulnerability assessment
of West African species. PARCC, IUCN, Cambridge.
Chinda, A. C., Osuamkpe A. (1994) The fish assemblage of lower Bonny
River Niger Delta, Nigeria. African Journal of Ecology, 72, 58–65.
Daniel, D.H. Vicky, J.C. Ashley, S.H. Mark, A.T. Caroline, A.G. Payne, A.I.,
Robin, L.W. (1999) Management guidelines for Asian floodplain
river fisheries. Part 2. Summary of DFID research. FAO Fisheries
Technical Paper 117 pages.
Edoghotu J. A. (2015) Fishes and fishers of Kugbo creek. Ph.D. Thesis
University of Port – Harcourt, Department of Animal and Environmental
Biology, Rivers State, Nigeria.
Edoghotu, J. A., George, U.U., Hart, A.I. (2016) The ichthyofaunal and
physico-chemical parameters of Kugbo Creek, Niger Delta. New
York Science Journal, 9(4), 65-74.
Ekpo, I. E., Udoh J. P. (2013) Species richness and diversity of ichthyofaunal
communities of the lower Cross river flood plain Nigeria.
Intl Res J. Environment sciences 2 (7), 5- 14.
Elaikhame, L. A., Sikoki, F.D. (1999) Observations on the ecology of Hepsetus
odoe (Bloch 1974) in Epie creek floodplain, Niger Delta.
In: 16th Annual Conference of the Fisheries Society of Nigeria
(FISON) , 4-9 November 2001 ,Maiduguri, Nigeria, pp. 148-155
Ezekiel, E.N. (2002) Comparative studies of the floodplains and major
rivers in Odiokwu – Ekpeye, Riverstate, Nigeria, M.Sc. Thesis
University of Port-Harcourt, Rivers State. Department of Animal
and Environmental Biology.
FAO (1990) FAO yearbook of fishery statistics. FAO, Rome, pp. 1-70.
Gourène, G., Teugels, G. (1991) Clupeidae in fresh and brackish water
fishes of West Africa, Vol. 1. Lévêque, C., Paugy, D. and Teugel,
G. (eds.). Faune tropicale, XXVIII, 89–111.
Greenwood, P.H. (1963) The swimbladder in African Notopteridae (Pisces)
and its bearing on the taxonomy of the family. Bulletin of
the British Museum, 11, 379–412.
Griffith, J.F. (1972) Climates of Africa. In.: Lansburg, H.E (ed.). World
Survey of Climatology. Vol. 10 Elsevier, New York.
Harper, D.A.T. (Ed.) (1999) Numerical Palaeobiology. John Wiley & Sons,
New York.
Holden, M., Reed, W. (1972) West African freshwater fishes. Longmans
Ltd., London.
Ibim, A. T., Gogo, O.O., Florinzel, I. (2016) The ichthyofaunal assemblage
of the lower and upper reaches of New Calabar River,
River State, Niger Delta, Nigeria. Journal of Environment and
Earth Science, 6, 186-197.
Idodo-Umeh, G. (2003) Freshwater fishes of Nigeria (Taxonomy, ecological
notes, diet and Utilization). Idodo–Umeh publishers, Benin
city, Niger Delta Nigeria, 122 pages.
Jackson, A.T., Adite, A., Roach, K.A., Winemiller, K.O. (2013) Fish assemblages
of an African river floodplain: a test of alternative
models of community structure. Ecology of Freshwater Fishes,
22, 295–306.
Laë, R. (1995) Climatic and anthropogenic effects on fish diversity and
fish yields in the Central Delta of the Niger River. Aquatic Living
Resources, 8, 43-58.
Lévêque, C., Paugy, D. (2006) Les poissons des eaux continentales africaines:
diversité, écologie, utilisation par l’homme. Institut de
Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), Paris.
Lévêque, C.O., Paugy, D., Teugels G.G. (1991) The fresh and brackish
water fishes of West Africa. Vol. 1. Museum Royale de 1’Afrique
Centrale. Tervuren, Belgique, Editions de 1’ ORSTROM, pp. 384.
Luiselli, L., Amori, G., Akani, G.C., Eniang, E.A. (2015) Ecological diversity,
community structure and conservation of Niger Delta mammals.
Biodiversity and Conservation, 24:2809-2830.
Magurran, A.E. (1988) Ecological Diversity and its Measurement. Princeton
University Press, Princeton, NY.
Mallon, D.P., Hoffmann, M., Grainger, M.J., Hibert, F., van Vliet, N.,
McGowan, P.J.K. (2015) Analyse de situation de l’UICN concernant
la faune terrestre et d’eau douce en Afrique centrale et de
l’Ouest. Document occasionnel de la Commission de la sauvegarde
des espèces de l’UICN nº 54. UICN, Gland, Switzerland. x
+162 pp.
Mann, K.H. (2009) Fundamentals of Aquatic Ecology, Second Edition.
Wiley, New York.
Mmom, P. C., Aifesehi, P.E. (2016) Impact of the 2012 flood on water
quality and rural livelihood in the Orashi Province of the Niger
Delta, Nigeria. Journal of Geography and Geology, 5(3), 216-225.
Moses, B.S. (1992) Introduction to tropical fisheries. Ibadan University
Press, Ibadan, Nigeria.
Niger Delta Environmental Survey (1998) NDES Vol. 1 Environmental
and Socioeconomic Characteristics. NDES Press, Port Harcourt,
p. 658.
Nwadiaro, C. S. (1989) Icthyofaunal of lake Oguta a shallow lake in
southern Nigeria. Arch. Hydrobiol., 115, 463–475.
Nwadiaro, C.S. (1984) The Longitudinal distribution of Macro–invertebrate
and fish in Lower Niger Delta (Sombreiro River) Nigeria.
Hydrobiol Bull., 18, 133–140.
Olson, D.M., Dinerstein, E. (1998) The Global 200: a representation
approach to conserving the Earth’s most biologically valuable
ecoregions. Conserv. Biol., 12, 502-515.
Osuamkpe, A.(2014) Response of fish assemblages to biophysical characteristics
of the Lower Orashi River”. Ph.D. Thesis, Department
Of Animal And Environmental Biology, University of Port Harcourt
River State Nigeria, pp. 183.
Reed, W., Burchard, T., Hopson, A. J., Jennes, J., Yaro, I. (1967) Fish and
fisheries of Northern Nigeria. Abuja, Nigeria, Ministry of Agriculture,
pp. 226.
Reid, G. M., Sydenham, D.H.J. (1979) A checklist of the lower Benue
River West Africa. J. Natural History, 13, 14-67.
Roberts, T.R., Kullander, S.O. (1994) Endemic cichlid fishes of the Fwa
River, Zaïre: behaviour and ecology. Ichthyol. Explor. Freshwat.,
5, 97-154.
Sikoki, F. D., Hart, A.I., Abowei, J.F.N. (1998) Gill net selectivity and fish
Abundance in Lower Nun River. Nigeria. Journal of applied science
and environmental management, 1, 13–19.
Sydenham, D. H. (1975) Observation on the fish population of a Nigerian
forest stream Revue Zool. Afri., 1975, 257- 272.
Teugels, G., Powell, C.B. (2005) The Niger Delta in Nigeria: A hotspot
and a crossroad for freshwater fish biodiversity. In: Thieme M.L.,
Abell R., Stiassny M.L.J., Skelton P., Lehner B., Teugels G.G., Dinerstein
E., Kamdem Toham A., Burgess N., Olson D. [eds.] Freshwater
Ecoregions of Africa and Madagascar: A Conservation Assessment.
WWF. Island Press, Washington, DC, 431 pages.
Thieme, M.L., Abell, R., Stiassny, M.L.J., Skelton, P., Lehner, B., Teugels,
G.G., Dinerstein, E., Kamdem Toham, A., Burgess, N., Olson, D.
[eds.] (2005) Freshwater Ecoregions of Africa and Madagascar:
A Conservation Assessment. WWF. Island Press, Washington,
DC, 431 pages.
Von Chi-Bonnardel (1973) The Atlas of Africa. Free Press- Macmillian,
New York
Welcomme, R.L. (2001) Inland fisheries: ecology and management. FAO
Fishing New Books, Blackwell Science, FAO, Rome, 358 pages.
White, F. (1983) The Vegetation of Africa, UNESCO Press, New York.
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Copyright (c) 2018 O.T. Lazarus, Godfrey c Akani, Luca Luiselli, Nioking Amadi, Adaobi P Ugbomeh, A Osuamkpe, Daniele Dendi, Nwabueze Ebere, Nic Pacini, Chimela Wala, Stephanie Nwanefulu Ajong, Harrison S. Uyi
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How to Cite
Lazarus, O., Akani, G. c, Luiselli, L., Amadi, N., Ugbomeh, A. P., Osuamkpe, A., Dendi, D., Ebere, N., Pacini, N., Wala, C., Ajong, S. N., & Uyi, H. S. (2018). Structure and diversity of fish communities in man-made ponds of the Niger Delta (southern Nigeria). European Journal of Ecology, 4(2), 84-91. https://doi.org/10.2478/eje-2018-0015
