Food and Feeding Habits of the Cichlidae in Tagwai Reservoir, Niger State, Nigeria

Abstract

Feeding is one of the most important biological factors in the life of any living organism. Its abundance and variety influence the structure as well as composition of fish populations in the aquatic environment. Food and feeding habit are useful in determining fish population level, since the number of individuals on the population depends on the amount of food available, the composition of such food may also vary depending on fish size, level of maturity, habitat types and environmental condition. Four hundred and seventeen (417) samples comprising of one hundred and eighty-six Sarotherodon galilaeus and two hundred and thirty-one (231) Coptodon zillii were collected on monthly basis for four (4) months (March, 2021 to June, 2021) from the catches of local fishermen operating on Tagwai Reservoir, in Niger State, Nigeria. The fresh samples were transported in ice - chest box to the Biology Department laboratory of Ibrahim Babangida University (IBB), Lapai, Niger State, where analyses were carried out. Eight (8) different types of dietary items that constituted plant and animal materials were found as food in the stomachs of each of S. galilaeus and C. zillii. This included detritus, sand, algae, plant material, nematode, plankton, seed and unidentified material. Plant material was highest (30.30%). Followed by detritus (17.32%), then algae (16.01%), the lowest was nematode and unidentified material each with 2.16%. Feeding intensity of both species of fish was high due to low percentage of empty stomachs recorded during the period of study. 157 stomachs of S. galilaeus out of 186 examined had food while 181 stomachs of C. zillii out of 231 examined had food. S. galilaeus and C. zillii are omnivore and herbivore respectively based on their feeding habits. Diet overlap or similarity showed moderate level of association in diet and less competition for food between the two species. There is need to examine other aspects of biology, such as growth, fecundity, age of these fishes in the reservoir. This study can be used as baseline information for carrying out similar study in other water bodies