Biometric characteristics, length-weight relationship, food and feeding habit and condition factor of Aleste baremose

Abstract

Biometric characteristics, length weight relationship, food and feeding habit and condition factor of Aleste baremose from Lower River Benue were determined. Among the morphological indices of A. baremose from Lower River Benue, total length, standard length, head length, snout length weight, gut weight, gut length, eye diameter and condition factor were higher in female samples than the male counterpart. Of the biometric indices, no significant difference (p>0.05) existed between the female and male total length, gut length, gut weight and eye diameter. From the length weight relationship, of male A. baremose had better ‘b’ value (2.83) than the female counterpart (2.76). The most frequently consumed food item by A. baremose was digested food particles (13.33%) while the least was sand (1.67%). Numerically, the most food item consumed by A. baremose was unidentified food items (34.07%) while the least was sand (5.49). Of the 160 samples of A. baremose used for this work, while 64.38 had empty stomach, 35.62% had different food items in their stomachs. Of the stomach with food items, while 17.50% was recorded for quarter-full stomach, the least (3.13%) was recorded for threequarter full stomach.

Keywords: Morphological characteristics, length-weight relationship, food and feeding habit, condition factor, A. baremose, River Benue