Author(s): GA Otogo, BE Job, and ES Sandy

Abstract: Investigations were conducted on the food, feeding habits and condition factor of cassava croaker, Pseudotolithus senegalensis in the Cross River Estuary, Nigeria. The diet components of the croaker consisted of molluscs, shrimps, fish bones, fish scales, shrimps parts, diatoms, polychaete worms, crabs, fish, crab parts, fish egg and plant materials. Detritus, sand grains and mud particles were also isolated from the gut of the fish. Diet components from animal origin was more than those from either plant origin or those classified as ‘others’. The study was conducted for three months (August-October, 2019). Diet components from animals origin had numerical abundance of 91 individuals with 68.42% (relative abundance) in August, with 49 (60.49%) in September and 68 (74.73%) in October, while diet components from plant origin had numerical abundance of 24 individuals with a relative abundance of 18.05% in August 13 (16.05%) in September and 7 (7.69%) in October. Diet classified as ‘others’ had numerical abundance of 18 individuals which formed 13.53% of the total diet in August, with 19 (23.46%) in September and 16 (17.58%) in October. The condition factor of the fish ranged between 0.85-2.78 with a mean of 1.77±1.33 in August, 0.82-1.22 in September and between 0.69-1.58 with a mean of 1.36±1.67 in October. Based on the diet components of the croaker, which mainly consisted of animal origin, the croaker may be classified as a predatory fish with varied condition factor in relation to the month and age of fish. Older fishes had lower condition factor with younger ones having higher condition factor.

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