Authors:
*TSEVENDA, C. A., ANNUNE, P. A., OLUFEAGBA, S. O., Odo, J. I, and Gbaaondo, T., Nigeria
|
Abstract:
The macroscopic and microscopic maturation and histology of the gonads of the three fish
species; comprising 189 Hydrocynus forskahlii from Abinsi and 214 from Wadata station, 372
Citharinus citharus from Abinsi and 366 from Wadata, 384 and 363 Mormyrus rume from Abinsi
and Wadata, respectively, were caught using gill and cast nets. The specimens were collected
fortnightly from fishermen of Lower River Benue, between April 2019 and March 2020. The
process of oogenesis and spermatogenesis were studied by macroscopic and microscopic
observations, and also utilising histological preparations of ovaries and testes belonging to
different gonad maturation stages. The data obtained from this study were subjected to
descriptive statistics. The macroscopic and microscopic observations of the fishes gonads
corresponded with the method described by Brown-Peterson et al. (2011). There were presences
of oocytes at different phases of development indicating the fishes to have prolonged and
fractional spawning season, spawning more than once during the spawning season. The
histological features corresponding with reproductive cycles and the spawning periods, and the
spawning capable phase occurred mostly between May-August. The brooders may be captured
during their spawning periods and stocked for aquaculture, or the eggs collected and incubated in
the laboratory.
|
