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Abstract
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Article Information:
Morphometric Relationships and Feeding Habits of Nile Tilapia Oreochromis niloticus (L.) (Pisces: Cichlidae) From Lake Koka, Ethiopia
Flipos Engdaw, Elias Dadebo and Raja Nagappan
Corresponding Author: Flipos Engdaw
Submitted: June 28, 2013
Accepted: July 12, 2013
Published: November 20, 2013 |
Abstract:
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The study aimed to check morphometric relationships and feeding habits of the Nile tilapia Oreochromis niloticus (L.). A total 573 fish samples from 4.7 cm to 35.2 cm Total Length (TL) and from 1.67 g to 780.0 g Total Weights (TW) were collected from Lake Koka during dry (May) and wet (August) months of 2011. The relationship between TL and Standard Length (SL) was linear (SL = 0.8482TL-0.8674) and the relationship between TL and TW was curvilinear (TW = 0.0153TL3.0541). From the total number of fishes 488 (85.2%) stomach was observed with food and remaining 85(14.8%) was empty. The major food items found in the stomach content was phytoplankton, macrophytes and detritus. Phytoplankton occurred in 80.1% of the stomach contents examined and contributed 47.45% of the total volume of food items. Macrophytes and detritus was found in 61.1 and 75.2% of the stomach contents and contributed 26.2 and 15.5% of the total volume of the diet, respectively. Zooplankton and insects was recorded in 54.1 and 19.9% of the stomach and volumetrically accounted for 7.06 and 2.43% of the bulk, respectively. During the dry month phytoplankton was observed in 96.4% of the stomach and constituting 66.1% of the total volume of the diet. During wet month macrophytes was the most important food items found in 98.1% of the stomach contents and constituting 79.1% of the total volume of the food items. Ontogenetic dietary shift was observed during the present study. Small sized fish (<10 cm) fed mainly on insects and zooplankton. When the fish size increased phytoplankton, macrophytes was increased in their food contents and zooplankton, insects and ostracods declined.
Key words: Lake koka, morphometric, ontogenetic dietary shift, Oreochromis niloticus, phytoplankton, stomach contents, volumetric analysis, zooplankton
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Cite this Reference:
Flipos Engdaw, Elias Dadebo and Raja Nagappan, . Morphometric Relationships and Feeding Habits of Nile Tilapia Oreochromis niloticus (L.) (Pisces: Cichlidae) From Lake Koka, Ethiopia. International Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, (4): 65-71.
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ISSN (Online): 2049-842X
ISSN (Print): 2049-8411 |
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