Studies on the distribution, abundance, growth pattern and dietary habits of Brycinus nurse Ruppel, 1832 (Osteichthyes: Characidae) in the River Jamieson, Nigeria

Abstract

Aspects of the ecology of Brycinus nurse Ruppel, 1832 in the River Jamieson, Nigeria were studied. B. nurse constituted 19.8% of the characid catch and was unevenly distributed in the river with perennial occurrence in the downstream station. Peak abundance was at the beginning of the dry season. Fish size ranged from 7.0 to 19.0 cm standard length and weighed 40.5-171.0 g. The growth pattern was allometric. Condition factor ranged from 1.99 to 2.65 and varied with individual length of fish. Condition factor was slightly higher during the wet season. B. nurse fed primarily on plant fragments and seeds and Hymenoptera while algae and various alate insets were of secondary importance. Immature aquatic insects were incidental food items. B. nurse was essentially both day and night time feeder with only quantitative variations in dietary habits in relationship to size and season.