Fish Composition and Diversity Assessment of Asa Dam, Kwara State, Nigeria

Abstract

Sustainable exploitation of natural resources remains the indispensable tool to achieving food security, particularly with the gradual encroachment of species extinction and threating in their natural habitat. Moreover, knowledge of species present in natural and man-made water bodies will ensure a better management for future exploitation. The present study, therefore, examined the fish composition and diversity of the reservoir, in an attempt to provide baseline information on the present species for better management of the reservoir. A total of 240 fish specimen were collected randomly from the study area within a period of six months comprising of 10 families and 18 species. The family Cichlidae and Mormyridae were found to be the most abundant making up of 49.17% and 10.83% respectively of the total population, while Cyprinidae was the least abundant recorded during the sampling having 0.42% of the total population. Other families and their percentage contribution in the total catch were Bagridae (10.42%), Characidae (9.17%), Schilbedae (5.83%), Mochokidae (2.92%), Channidae (2.92%), and Osteoglossidae (0.83%). At the species level, Tilapia zillii were the most abundant of all the species making up of 22.08% of the total caught, followed by Sarotherodon galilaeus having 12.08%, while Clarias anguilaris, Clarias angolensis, and Labeo senegalensis were the least represented making 0.42% each of the total population. Based on the findings of this study, fish diversity and composition of the reservoir needs to be conserved as some species were observed to be threatened, thus management strategies for sustainability and future exploitation need to be adopted.