Community structure of Mochokidae (Jordan, 1923) fishes from Niger River at Northern Benin: implications for conservation and sustainable exploitation

Paper Details

Research Paper 01/04/2020
Views (505) Download (27)
current_issue_feature_image
publication_file

Community structure of Mochokidae (Jordan, 1923) fishes from Niger River at Northern Benin: implications for conservation and sustainable exploitation

Hamidou Arame, Alphonse Adite, Kayode Nambil Adjibade, Rachad Sidi Imorou, Pejanos Stanislas Sonon
Int. J. Biosci.16( 4), 543-557, April 2020.
Certificate: IJB 2020 [Generate Certificate]

Abstract

In Niger River in Benin, Mochokid fishes constitute valuable fishery resources of high commercial and economic importance. An ichtyological survey targeted to Mochokidae family was conducted in Niger River to document the community structure of these taxa in order to contribute to species management and sustainable exploitation. Fish individuals were sampled every month from February 2015 to July 2016 from artisanal fisheries and experimental catches using gillnets, cast nets, seines and longlines. The results indicated that the Niger River in Benin was rich of fourteen (14) species belonging to one (1) genus, Synodontis. Numerically, three (3) species, Synodontis schall (74.50%), Synodontis membranaceus (16.79%) and Synodontis nigrita (2.24%) were the most abundant. Likewise, three (3) Mochokidae, Synodontis schall, Synodontis membranaceus and Synodontis clarias showed a wide distribution and consistently occurred in all sampling sites. Seasonaly, the flooding period was the most diverse season showing the highest Shannon-Weaver index of species diversity H’ =1.65. Though under many degradation factors, the water quality of the Niger River was globally favorable for primary production and for the survival and growth of fishes. Overall, cumulated Mochokidae abundances significantly (P<0.05) increased with dissolved oxygen concentration. The multitude threats depicted were overfishing, dumping of domestic wastes, invasion of floating plants, introduction of exotic fish species, and the use of chemicals fertilizers/pesticides for adjacent agriculture require a community-based approach of ecosystem management that should include habitat protection, species conservation and valorization in order to guaranty the sustainable exploitation of the Mochokidae fishes in the Niger River.

VIEWS 42

Adite A, Gbaguidi MAGH, Adjibade KN, Arame H, Sidi IR, Sonon PS. 2017. Food web structure in a sand-dragged man-made lake of Benin, West Africa: Implications for ecosystem management. International Journal of Fauna and Biological Studies 5, 05-12.

Adite A, Imorou Toko I, Gbankoto A. 2013. Fish assemblage in the degraded mangrove ecosystems of the costal zone, Benin, West Africa: Implications for Ecosystem restoration and resources conservation. Journal of Environmental Protection 4, 1461-1475. https://doi.org/10.4236/jep.2013.412168.

Adite A, Tossavi CE, Kakpo DBE. 2017. Biodiversity, length-weight patterns and condition factors of cichlid fishes (Perciformes : Cichlidae) in brackish water and freshwater lakes of the Mono River, Southern Benin, West Africa. International Journal of Fauna and Biological Studies 4, 26-34.

Adjibade KN, Adite A, Arame H, Sidi Imorou R, Sonon PS. 2019. The fish fauna of the Mormyridae (Pisces: Teleostei: Osteoglossiformes) from the Niger River in Northern Benin, In press.

Arame H, Adite A, Adjibade KN,  Sidi Imorou R, Sonon PS. 2019. Mochokidae fish species diversity from Niger River at Malanville, North-East Benin (West Africa), In press.

Berger WH, Parker FL. 1970. Diversity of planktonic foraminifera in deep-sea sediments. Science 168, 1345-134. https://doi.org/10.1126/ science.168.3937. 1345.

Brummett RE, Teugels GG. 2004. Rainforest rivers of Central Africa: biogeography and sustainable exploitation. In: Welcomme R, Peter T, Ed. Proceedings of the second international symposium on the management of large rivers for fisheries. Bangkok: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, RAP Publication 2004/16, p. 149-171.

Coke M. 1968. Depth Distribution of Fish on a Bush-Cleared Area of Lake Kariba, Central Africa.Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 97, 460-465. DOI: 10.1577/1548-8659(1968) 97[460:DDOFOA]2.0.CO;2.

Djidohokpin G, Sossoukpe E, Sohou Z, Tamesse JL, Fiogbe ED. 2017. Ichthyofauna of Tovè river in the south Benin: specific diversity and spatial distribution. South Asian Journal of Life Sciences 5, 19-29. http://dx.doi.org/10.17582/journal.sajls/2017/5.1.19.29.

Fermon Y, Friel JHHNg, De Weirdt D. 2007. Mochokidae. p. 698-752. In: Stiassny MLJ, Teugels GG, Hopkins CD, Ed. The fresh and brackish water fishes of Lower Guinea, West-Central Africa, Vol. I. Collection Faune et Flore tropicales, IRD, Paris, France, Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Paris, France, and Musée Royal de l’Afrique Centrale, Tervuren, Belgium, p. 800.

Froese R, Pauly D. 2018. FishBase. World Wide Web electronic publication. www.fishbase.org, Editors version (06/2018).

Hauber ME. 2011. Description and Improvement of the ‘’Whedo”‐ Aquaculture ‐ System in Malanville (North of Benin). Dissertation Zur Erlangung Des, Naturwissenschaftlichen Doktorgrades Der Bayerischen Julius‐Maximilians‐Universtität Würzburg, p. 203.

Hazoume RUS, Chikou A, Koudenoukpo CZ, Adite A, Bonou CA, Mensah GA. 2017. Length-weight relationships of 30 species of fish of the river Sô in Benin (West Africa). International Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Studies 5, 514-519. https://doi.org/10.1038/163688a0.

Husson F, Josse JLeS, Mazet J, Husson MF. 2016. Package ‘FactoMineR’ :Multivariate Exploratory Data Analysis and Data Mining.R package Version 1.32. https://CRAN.Rproject.org /package=FactoMineR.

Kakpo DBE. 2011. Biodiversité et Exploitation des poissons du bas-Mono: implication pour la Conservation et la Gestion durable des Ressources Halieutiques. Mémoire de Master en Production et Santé Animales, EPAC/UAC, Bénin, p. 105.

Koba G. 2005. Les pratiques de pêches dans le fleuve Niger au Benin et leurs impacts sur la faune ichtyologique. Mémoire du Diplôme d’Etude Approfondie (DEA) en Gestion de l’Environnement Dynamique des Ecosystèmes et Amenagement du Territoire, EDP/GE/FLASH/UAC, Bénin, p.73.

Lévêque C, Paugy D, Teugels GG. 1990-1992. Faune des Poissons d’Eaux douces et saumâtres de l’Afrique de l’Ouest. Ed ORSTOM, Paris, p. 910.

Lévêque C, Paugy D. 2006. Les poissons des eaux continentales africaines : Diversité, écologie, utilisation par l’homme. IRD Editions, France, p. 573.

Margalef R. 1968. Perspective in Ecological Theory. University of Chicago Press, Chicago.

Montchowui E, Niyonkuru C, Ahouansou MS, Chikou A, Lalèyè P. 2007. L’ichtyofaune de la rivière Hlan au Bénin (Afrique de l’Ouest). Cybium 31, 163-166. https://doi.org/10.4314/ijbcs.v2i2.39733

Morgan GA, Grieggo OV, Gloekner GW. 2001. SPSS for windows: An introduction to use and interpreta- tion in research. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Publishers, Mahwah.

Moritz T, Lalѐyѐ P, Koba G, Linsenmair KE. 2006. An annotated list of fish from the River Niger at Malanville, Benin, with notes on the local fisheries. Verhandlung der Gesellschaf für Ichthyologie 5, 95-110.

Okpeïcha OS. 2011. Biodiversité et exploitation des poissons du barrage de SUCOBE dans la commune de Savè au Bénin. Mémoire de Master en hydrobiologie Appliquée, FAST/UAC, Bénin p. 43.

Paugy D, Lévêque C, Teugels GG (eds). 2004. Faune des poissons d’eaux douces et saumâtres de l’Afrique de l’Ouest. Faune Tropicale. Ed. IRD, Paris p. 815.

Paugy D, Lévêque C, Teugels GG. 2003a. Poissons d’eaux douces et saumâtres de l’Afrique de l’Ouest. Collection faune et flore tropicales, n° 40, MARC/MNHN/IRD, tome 1, Paris, p. 457.

Paugy D, Lévêque C, Teugels GG. 2003b. Poissons d’eaux douces et saumâtres de l’Afrique de l’Ouest. Collection faune et flore tropicales, n° 40, MARC/MNHN/IRD, tome 2, Paris p. 815.

Paugy D, Leveque C. 2004. Poissons d’eaux douces et saumâtres de l’Afrique de l’Ouest, édition complète. IRD, Paris.

Paugy D, Roberts TR. 2004. Famille des Mochokidae.In : Faune des poissons d’eaux douces et saumâtres de l’Afrique de l’Ouest. In : Paugy D, Lévêque C, Teugels GG,  Faune Tropicale. Ed, IRD p. 815.

Pianka ER. 1994. Evolutionary ecology. 5th Edition, Harper Collins College Publishers, New York.

Shannon CE, Weaver W. 1963. The Mathematical Theory of Communication. University of Illinois Press, Urbana.

Sidi Imorou R, Adite A, Arame H, Chikou A, Adjibade KN, Sonon PS. 2019. Ichtyofauna of okpara Stream a tributary of Oueme River (Benin, West-Africa). In press.

Simpson EH. 1949. Measurement of diversity. Nature 163, 688. https://doi.org/10.1038/163688a0.

Skelton PHA. 1993. Complete Guide to the Freshwater Fishes of Southern Africa. Southern Book Publishers.

Swann LD. 1997. A Fish Farmer’s Guide to Understanding Water Quality. Aquaculture Extension Illinois, Purdue University, Indiana Sea Grant Program Fact Sheet AS-503.

ter Braak CJF, Smilauer P. 1998. CANOCO Release 4, Reference Manual and Users Guide to CANOCO for Windows: Software for Canonical Community Ordination. Microcomputer Power, Ithaca, USA.

Van Thielen R, Hounkpe C, Agon G, Dagba L. 1987. Guide de détermination despoissons et crustacés des lagunes et lacs du Bas Bénin. Direction des Pêches-GTZ, Cotonou.

Welcomme RL. 1985. River fisheries. Fischeries Technical Paper 262, FAO, Rome.