Preprint Article Version 1 Preserved in Portico This version is not peer-reviewed

Comparative Assessment of Age, Growth and Food Habit of the Black-Chinned Tilapia, Sarotherodon melanotheron (Rüppell, 1852), from Closed and Open Lagoons, Ghana

Version 1 : Received: 10 February 2019 / Approved: 12 February 2019 / Online: 12 February 2019 (17:14:54 CET)

A peer-reviewed article of this Preprint also exists.

Zuh, C.K., Abobi, S.M. & Campion, B.B. Comparative assessment of age, growth and food habit of the black-chinned tilapia, Sarotherodon melanotheron (Rüppell, 1852), from a closed and open lagoon, Ghana. Fish Aquatic Sci 22, 31 (2019), doi:10.1186/s41240-019-0146-z Zuh, C.K., Abobi, S.M. & Campion, B.B. Comparative assessment of age, growth and food habit of the black-chinned tilapia, Sarotherodon melanotheron (Rüppell, 1852), from a closed and open lagoon, Ghana. Fish Aquatic Sci 22, 31 (2019), doi:10.1186/s41240-019-0146-z

Abstract

The black-chinned tilapia Sarotherodon melanotheron is the most abundant fish species in the Nakwa (a closed lagoon) and Brenu (an open lagoon) in the Central region of Ghana. Aspects of the life history characteristics and the ecology of the fish populations in both lagoons were studied to assess the bio-ecological status of this important resource. The estimated von Bertalanffy growth parameters were L∞ = 12.04 cm; K =2.76 year-1 for the Nakwa Lagoon samples and L∞ = 13.44 cm; K = 3.27 years-1 for Brenu Lagoon samples. Daily otolith incremental rate ranged from 0.01-0.03mm per day and 0.01-0.02mm per day for Nakwa and Brenu lagoons respectively. Stomach content analysis of the fish samples revealed that the species are planktivorous and the range of food varied between the lagoons. Green algae was the most prevalent food item in the stomachs of the fish samples from Nakwa with frequency of 69% while diatoms (80.5%) were most prevalent phytoplanktonic food item in for the fish in Brenu lagoon. The results of this study of Sarotherodon melanotheron from the two lagoons and can be used to improve on management policies, maximize yield and to sustain the fishery resources.

Keywords

Ghana; lagoon; tilapia; fish growth; otoliths; age; food

Subject

Biology and Life Sciences, Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics

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