Population structure and reproduction of the African bonytongue Heterotis niloticus in the Sô River‐floodplain system (West Africa): implications for management

Abstract

Population structure and reproduction of the African bonytongue Heterotis niloticus in the Sô River-floodplain system (West Africa): implications for management Un resumen en espan˜ol se incluye detra´s del texto principal de este artı´culo.

Genetic differentiation of a primitive teleost, the African bonytongue Heterotis niloticus, among river basins and within a floodplain river system in Benin, West Africa

“…Seasonal flooding facilitates dispersal of H . niloticus within the Ouemé–Sô River floodplain system (Adite et al , ); thus, low levels of population genetic differentiation for this fish are expected within this system.…”

Reproductive biology of pacu Piaractus mesopotamicus (Holmberg, 1887) (Teleostei: Characidae) in the Cuiabá River Basin, Mato Grosso, Brazil

“…The highest correlation was found between fecundity and gonad mass in the headwaters and between fecundity and body length in the flood area. Several studies have identified a positive relationship between the number of oocytes and fish size (Adite et al, 2006;Brickle et al, 2005;Magalhães et al, 2003;Mazzoni & Silva, 2006;Moffett et al, 2006;Sato et al, 2006;Tarkan, 2006;Martins-Queiroz et al, 2008).…”

Diet breadth variation and trophic plasticity behavior of the African bonytongue <i>Heterotis niloticus</i> (Cuvier, 1829) in the Sô River-Lake Hlan aquatic system (Benin, West Africa): Implications for species conservation and aquaculture development

“…However, as digestive tract becomes well developed, Heterotis takes advantage to other available resources such as detritus and seeds to rapidly satisfy his high protein and energetic requirements (Steingrimsson and Gislason, 2002) [31]. The low negative correlations of standard length and gut length with microcrustacea compared to those with aquatic insects were probably due to the presence of gill rakers (42 -94 rakers on the first branchial arch) (Moreau, 1982) during the whole life of Heterotis, which facilitate sieving of zooplankton and other microcrustacea regardless of age or size (Adite et al, 2006) [8,32]. For example, a 605 mm specimen, collected from Lake Hlan have consumed 100% (volume = 3 ml) of microcrustacea, mainly cladoceran and copepod.…”

“…In addition to the broader diet breadths, the trophic plasticity behavior depicted is an advantage for the survival, the conservation and the aquaculture development of Heterotis because enable the species not only to colonize and to adapt to unstable and changing aquatic habitats, but also to invade and to well establish in many habitats with different features (physical characteristics; food availability, niche breadths and niche overlaps), such as freshwater lakes, swamps, inundated plains, streams, rivers and fish ponds capable of varying water level in order to stimulate gonad maturation and to insure reproduction success [32,35].…”