The Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus, is a highly valued fish species in Africa for subsistence and commercial purposes. However, overfishing activities in non-supervised lakes or reservoirs threaten its availability. In the view of contributing to the database on the life history traits of this species in Cameroon and supporting its sustainable management, the present study investigated the growth patterns, food preferences, and reproductive aspects of O. niloticus in a hypertrophic milieu, the Yaoundé Municipal Lake, from May to October 2018. Fish specimens were sampled, measured, weighed, and sexed. The digestive tract of each specimen and the females’ gonads were collected. The intestines were measured, and the stomach contents were identified. The females’ reproductive aspects were determined. Overall, 101 specimens were collected and distributed among 48 (47.5%) males and 53 (52.5%) females, with a sex ratio of 1: 1.1. In this hypoxic (1.35 ± 0.4 mg/L) and highly conductive (210.5 ± 56.9 µS/cm) milieu, O. niloticus displayed a relatively good condition (Kn > 1) throughout the sampling period and negative allometric growth patterns for both sexes (b < 3; p < 0.001). Materials from plant origin were the preferred prey types, with an index of relative importance (IRI) of 78.20%; meanwhile, mud and materials from animal origin were secondary prey items (IRI: 13 ‒ 17%). The relative gut length (RGL) value above 3.0 and the foraging activity on detritus suggest that O. niloticus has an herbivorous or detritivorous dietary habit and is a bottom-feeder. Female length at first maturity (L50) was 17 cm. Their gonado-somatic index (GSI) showed sexual activity throughout the whole sampling period, with the peak spawning phase happening in August. The absolute fecundity of gravid females varied between 316 and 1816 oocytes (942 ± 430 oocytes), and the relative fecundity ranged from 1–5 oocytes/gram of body weight (3 ±1 oocytes/g). The results highlight the performance of the Nile tilapia in this ecosystem and provide information for its sustainable use and improvement of fish culture.
| Published in | International Journal of Animal Science and Technology (Volume 8, Issue 4) |
| DOI | 10.11648/j.ijast.20240804.12 |
| Page(s) | 92-105 |
| Creative Commons |
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited. |
| Copyright |
Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Science Publishing Group |
Cameroon, Food Preferences, Growth Pattern, Hyperthrophic Milieu, Nile Tilapia, Reproductive Traits
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APA Style
Messu-Mandeng, F. D., Nomo-Leka, M., Nlend-Batum, J. (2024). Aspects of Growth, Diet, and Reproduction of Oreochromis niloticus (Linnaeus, 1758) in a Hypertrophic Milieu, the Municipal Lake of Yaoundé, Cameroon. International Journal of Animal Science and Technology, 8(4), 92-105. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijast.20240804.12
ACS Style
Messu-Mandeng, F. D.; Nomo-Leka, M.; Nlend-Batum, J. Aspects of Growth, Diet, and Reproduction of Oreochromis niloticus (Linnaeus, 1758) in a Hypertrophic Milieu, the Municipal Lake of Yaoundé, Cameroon. Int. J. Anim. Sci. Technol. 2024, 8(4), 92-105. doi: 10.11648/j.ijast.20240804.12
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Download@article{10.11648/j.ijast.20240804.12,
author = {Françoise Danielle Messu-Mandeng and Marguerite Nomo-Leka and Judif Nlend-Batum},
title = {Aspects of Growth, Diet, and Reproduction of Oreochromis niloticus (Linnaeus, 1758) in a Hypertrophic Milieu, the Municipal Lake of Yaoundé, Cameroon
},
journal = {International Journal of Animal Science and Technology},
volume = {8},
number = {4},
pages = {92-105},
doi = {10.11648/j.ijast.20240804.12},
url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijast.20240804.12},
eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijast.20240804.12},
abstract = {The Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus, is a highly valued fish species in Africa for subsistence and commercial purposes. However, overfishing activities in non-supervised lakes or reservoirs threaten its availability. In the view of contributing to the database on the life history traits of this species in Cameroon and supporting its sustainable management, the present study investigated the growth patterns, food preferences, and reproductive aspects of O. niloticus in a hypertrophic milieu, the Yaoundé Municipal Lake, from May to October 2018. Fish specimens were sampled, measured, weighed, and sexed. The digestive tract of each specimen and the females’ gonads were collected. The intestines were measured, and the stomach contents were identified. The females’ reproductive aspects were determined. Overall, 101 specimens were collected and distributed among 48 (47.5%) males and 53 (52.5%) females, with a sex ratio of 1: 1.1. In this hypoxic (1.35 ± 0.4 mg/L) and highly conductive (210.5 ± 56.9 µS/cm) milieu, O. niloticus displayed a relatively good condition (Kn > 1) throughout the sampling period and negative allometric growth patterns for both sexes (b p O. niloticus has an herbivorous or detritivorous dietary habit and is a bottom-feeder. Female length at first maturity (L50) was 17 cm. Their gonado-somatic index (GSI) showed sexual activity throughout the whole sampling period, with the peak spawning phase happening in August. The absolute fecundity of gravid females varied between 316 and 1816 oocytes (942 ± 430 oocytes), and the relative fecundity ranged from 1–5 oocytes/gram of body weight (3 ±1 oocytes/g). The results highlight the performance of the Nile tilapia in this ecosystem and provide information for its sustainable use and improvement of fish culture.
},
year = {2024}
}
TY - JOUR T1 - Aspects of Growth, Diet, and Reproduction of Oreochromis niloticus (Linnaeus, 1758) in a Hypertrophic Milieu, the Municipal Lake of Yaoundé, Cameroon AU - Françoise Danielle Messu-Mandeng AU - Marguerite Nomo-Leka AU - Judif Nlend-Batum Y1 - 2024/11/12 PY - 2024 N1 - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijast.20240804.12 DO - 10.11648/j.ijast.20240804.12 T2 - International Journal of Animal Science and Technology JF - International Journal of Animal Science and Technology JO - International Journal of Animal Science and Technology SP - 92 EP - 105 PB - Science Publishing Group SN - 2640-1312 UR - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijast.20240804.12 AB - The Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus, is a highly valued fish species in Africa for subsistence and commercial purposes. However, overfishing activities in non-supervised lakes or reservoirs threaten its availability. In the view of contributing to the database on the life history traits of this species in Cameroon and supporting its sustainable management, the present study investigated the growth patterns, food preferences, and reproductive aspects of O. niloticus in a hypertrophic milieu, the Yaoundé Municipal Lake, from May to October 2018. Fish specimens were sampled, measured, weighed, and sexed. The digestive tract of each specimen and the females’ gonads were collected. The intestines were measured, and the stomach contents were identified. The females’ reproductive aspects were determined. Overall, 101 specimens were collected and distributed among 48 (47.5%) males and 53 (52.5%) females, with a sex ratio of 1: 1.1. In this hypoxic (1.35 ± 0.4 mg/L) and highly conductive (210.5 ± 56.9 µS/cm) milieu, O. niloticus displayed a relatively good condition (Kn > 1) throughout the sampling period and negative allometric growth patterns for both sexes (b p O. niloticus has an herbivorous or detritivorous dietary habit and is a bottom-feeder. Female length at first maturity (L50) was 17 cm. Their gonado-somatic index (GSI) showed sexual activity throughout the whole sampling period, with the peak spawning phase happening in August. The absolute fecundity of gravid females varied between 316 and 1816 oocytes (942 ± 430 oocytes), and the relative fecundity ranged from 1–5 oocytes/gram of body weight (3 ±1 oocytes/g). The results highlight the performance of the Nile tilapia in this ecosystem and provide information for its sustainable use and improvement of fish culture. VL - 8 IS - 4 ER -
Department of Biological Sciences, Higher Teachers’ Training College, University of Yaoundé I, Yaoundé, Cameroon
Department of Biological Sciences, Higher Teachers’ Training College, University of Yaoundé I, Yaoundé, Cameroon
Department of Biological Sciences, Higher Teachers’ Training College, University of Yaoundé I, Yaoundé, Cameroon
