FISH DIVERSITY OF NIGERIA

Nigeria has diversity of fin and shell fish fauna consisting of over 250 species in Inland waters with about 101 species (22 families) in Kainji lake alone (Ita 1993) 86 of them in lake Chad (Hopson 1967), 25 species (10 families) in Tiga lake (Ita 1985) 21 species (10 families in Bakolori (Ita 1993) and 32 species (11 families in Oyan lake (Ikenweiwe 2005) and 199 species from 78 families in the brackish and marine waters (Tobor and Ajayi 1978). The predominant fin and shell fish families with their species are presented in Tables 1 and 2.

Table 1. Commercially and scientifically important fresh water fishes of Nigeria.

Family              Common Name          Species

table 1a

table 1b

Hepsetidea LepidosirenidaeAfrican pike African LongfishHepsetus odoe (Bloch 1794) Protopterus annectes
(Owen 1939)
MalapteruridaeElectric catfishMalapterurus electicus (Gmelin 1789)
MochocidaeCatfishMochocus niloticus Synodontis batensod
Ruppell 1832

S. Schall Bloch Schruder 1801

S. clarias Linne 1761

S. filamentous Bountger 1901

S. membraneous (Geoffery Saint Hilaire 1809
MormyridaeTrunk FishGnathonemus tamasdua (Gunter 1862)
G. senegalensis elongates (Praff 1933)
Hyperopisus bebe occidentalis (Gunter 1866)
Mormyrus deliciosus (Leach 1818
M. macrophthalmus Gunter 1866
Notopteridae OphiocephalidaeTrunk Fish Snake headM. rume C & V. 1846 Paraphiocephalus obscures
 

Osteoglossidae

Gunter 1861

Heterotis niloticus (Cuvier 1829)

PolypteridaeSail fish Sail fish ofCalamichthys calabaricus Polypterus ansorgei
BirchirsBoulenger 1910

P. bichir lapradei

 

(Steindachner 1869)

P. endlicheri endlicheri

(heckle 1849)

P. senegalus segalus

 

Schilbeidae

 

Butter fish

(cuvier 1929) Eutropius nitoticus
 

Glass Catfish

(Ruppell 1829) Physailia pellucida
 

Catfish

Boulenger 1901

Schilbe mystus (L. 1762)

Siluranodon auritus (Geoffrey Saint – Hailarie 1827).
TetraodontidaeButter fishTetraodon fahaka strigosus Bennet 1834).

TABLE 2 IMPORTANT MARINE AND BRACKISH WATER FISHES OF NIGERIA CARTILAGINOUS FISHES

Family

Alopidae

Common Name

Big eye Thresher

Scientific Name Alopias supercilliosus (Lorme 1939)
 

Carcharhinidae

Thresher Shark Bull sharkA. vulpinus (Bonnaterre 1788) Carcharhinus leucas
 

Black tip shark

(Valenciennes and Henle, 1839)

C. limatus (Valenciennes in Muller

 

Atlantic weasel

& Henle 1839) Paragaelus pectoralis
 

Mill shark

(= grueli) (German 1906) Rhizoprionodon acutus
Ruppell, 1837) (scoliodon terranovae
 

Hexanchidae

 

Six gill shark

(Richardson 1836). Hexanchus griseus
LaminidaeGreat white sharkCarcharodon carcharias (L. 1758).
Odontaspididae PseudocarchariidaeSand tiger shark Crocodile sharksEugomphodus Taurus Pseudocarcharias
 

Sphyrinidae

 

Smooth hammer

Kamoharai Sphyrna zygaena

 

 

Sphyrnidae

Head

White fin hammer

(L. 1758)

Sphyrna couardi Cadenat

1950 S. Leurini (Griffith and Smith, 1834)
 

Triakidae

 

Tope shark

(= S. diplana Springer 1941) Galeorhinus galeus
(L. 1758)

Mustelus mustelus (L. 1758)

PristidaeLarge toothePristis microdon Latham 1794 (=Pristis perotteti Muller &
 

Smasll tooth

Henle

P. Pectinata Latham 1794

 

Dasyatidae

Common sawfish Rough tail sting rayP. Pristis (L. 1758) Dasyatis centroura
 

Daisy sting ray

(Mitchill, 1851)

D. margarita

 

Common sting ray

(Gunther, 1870)

D. pastinaca (L. 1758)

 

Round string ray

(=Trygon pastinaca (L. 1758) Taeniura grabata
(. Geoffery

Saint Hilaire 1817)

MobulidaeGiant AtlanticMmanta birostris (Donnderff, 1798
MantaMobula rochebrunei (Vaillant, 1879
MoliobatidaeCommon eagle rayMyliobatis aquila (L. 1758)
 

Bullray

(= M. cervus Smith 1934) Pteromylaeus bovines
(E. Geofrey St. Hilaire 1817)

 

BONY FISHES

Acanthuridae

 

Monrovia doctor

 

Acathurus monroviae

 

Abulidae

Fish Bone fishSteindachner 1876 Albula vulpes (L. 1758)
Longfin bonefishPterothrissus belloci Cadenat, 1937.
AriidaeRough head seaArius gambiensis, Cadenat, 1950
Catfish(= A. latiscutatus) Gunther 1864
Giant catfish Smooth mouth seaA. gigas Boulenger 1911

A. heudeloti

 

Catfish

Valenciennes, 1840

A. Sp. Nov.

 

Ariommatidae

 

Silver rag drift fish

A.  Sp. Var Ariomma bondi
Fowler, 1930

(= Paracubiceps multisquamis

 

Brown drift fish

Marchal 1961)

A. melanum (Ginsburg 1954)

(= Paracubiceps multisquamis Marchal 1961)
BalistidaeGrey trigger fishBalistes capriscus Gmelin 1788

B.  Punctatus Gmelin 1788

BatrachoididaeHairy toad fishBatrachoides liberiensis (Steindachner 1867)
BothidaeCape scald fishArnog lossus capensis Boulenger 1898
A.  imperialis (Rafinesque 1810) Bothus podas africanus
Nielsen, 1961. Sycium micrurum

 

 

Carangidae

 

Alexandria

Ranzani, 1840 Alectis alexandrinus
Pompano(Geoffroy St. Hilaire 1817) (= Scyris alexandrinus)
 

Blue runner

9= hynnis goreesic C. 1833) Caranx crysos (Mitchell 1815)
Crevalle jackC. hippose (L. 1766)

B.  senegallus Cuvier 1833

 

Atlantic bumper

(= C. africanus, steindachner 1833) Chloroscombrus chrysurus
 

Roundscad

(L. 1776).

Decapterus punctatus

 

Rainbow runner

(Cuvier 1829) Elegatis bipinnulata
 

Two-colour jack

(Quoy & Gaimard 1825) Hemicaranx bicolor
 

African moonfish

(Gunther 1860)

Selene dorsalis (Gill, 1863)

 

Greater amberjack

(=Vomer gibbiceps)

Seriola dumerili (Risso, 1810)

Long fin pompanoTrachinotus goreensis (Cuvier, 1832)
Trachurus trachurus (L> 1758
( = T. capensis
T. trecae Cadnat, 1949
ChlorophthalmidaeAtlantic greeneyeChloropthalmus atlanticus
Poll 1953

 

Citharidae

 

Clupeidae

Spotted flounder

 

Bonga shad

citharus veingulata (L. 1758)

 

Ethmalosa dorsalis

 

 

West African

(Valenciennes 1847)

 

Ilisha africana (Bloch 1795)

Ilisha 

 

Sardinella aurita

Valenciennes, 1847

 

S maderensis (Lowe, 1839)

CorphaenidaePompano dolphin

 

Little tunny

Coryphaena equiselis (L. 1758)

 

Euthynnus ailetteratus

 

 

skipjack tuna

(Rafinesque 1810)

 

katsuwonus pelamis (L. 1758)

Atlantic bonito

 

Albacore

Sarda sarda (Bloch 1973)

 

Thunnus alalunga

 

 

Yellow tuna

(Bonnaterre 1788

 

Thunnus albacares (Bonnaterre,

(1788)

 

 

 

Serranidae

Big eye tuna

 

White grouper

Thunnus obesus (Lowe 1839).

 

Epinephelus aeneus

 

 

Dungat grouper

Geoffroy St. Hilaire 1809)

 

E. goreenss (Valenciennes 1830)

Dusky grouper

 

Esonue grouper

E. gigas (Brunnich, 1968)

 

E. itajara (Lichtenstein 1822)

(= Promicrops ditobo Roux & Collignon 1954.
 

Ghanean comber

 

Serranus accraensis (Norman, 1931)

 

 

Soleidae

 

 

Four eyed sole

(= Neathias accreansis)

 

Microchirus ocellatus (L. 1758)

SparidaeBogue

 

Angola dentex

Boops boops (L. 1758)

 

Dentex angolensis Poll and

 

 

Canary dentex

Maul, 1953

 

D. Canariensis Steindachner

 

 

Congo dentex

1881

 

D. congoensis Poll 1954

 

Large eye dentex

 

Senegal sea bream

D. macropthalmus (Bloch, 1791)

 

Diplodus bellottii (Steindachner

 

 

Red Pandora

1882

 

Pagellus bellotti (Steindachner,

 

 

Red banded sea

1882)

 

Pagrus auriga

 

 

Sphyraenidae

Bream

 

Great barracuda

Valenciennes, 1843

 

Sphyraena barracuda

 

 

Guachanche

(Walbaum, 1972).

 

S. guachancho (Cuvier, 1829)

 

 

Stromateidae

Barrcuda

 

Butterfish

 

 

Stromateus fictola L. 1758

SynodontidaeBrazillian lézard

 

Fish

Saurida brasiliensis

 

Norman, 1935

 

 

Trichiuridae

 

 

Large head hair

(=S. parri)

 

Trichiurus lepturus

TailL. 1758

 

Xiphiidae

 

Zeidae

Swordfish

 

John dory

xiphias gladius L.1758

 

Zeus faber L. 1758

CRUSTRACEA

 

Geryonidae

 

 

West African

 

 

Geryon maritae

GeryonManning & Holthius 1981

 

(= Geryon quiquedens

PalaemonidaeCongo river

 

Prawn

Macrobrachium dux

 

Lenz, 1910

Niger river prawn

 

Brackish water

M. felicinum Holthuis 1949

 

M. macrobrachion

Prawn

 

African river

Herklots, 1851

 

M. vollenhovenii

Prawn

 

Estuarine prawn

Herklots 1857

 

Nematopalaemon hastatus

Creek shrimpPalaemonetes Africans

 

Balss 1916

PenaeidaeGuinea shrimpParapenaeopsis atlantica

 

 

 

Deep water rose

Balss 1916

 

Parapenaens longirostris

shrimp

 

Caramote prawn

(Lucas 1846)

 

Penaeus Kerathurus

(Lucas 1846)

 

P. notialis Perez-Fanfante 1967

MOLUSCS

 

Bivalves Arcidae

 

 

Senegal ark

 

 

Anadara senegalensis

 

 

Cardiidae

 

 

Costate cockle

(Gmelin 1791)

 

Cardium costatum

 

 

Gaping cockle

Linnaeus, 1758

 

C. ringens Bruguiere 1789

CEPHALOPODS

 

Loliginidae

 

 

European squid

 

 

Loligo vulgaris Lamarck, 1798

Octopodidae

 

Sepiidae

Common octopus

 

Common cuttle fish

Octopus vulgaris Cuvier 1797

 

Sepia officinalis nierredda

Rong 1837.

 

Ghanian tongue sole

 

Canary tongue

C. cadenati Chabanaud 1947

 

C. canariensis Steindachner

Sole

 

Ghanian tongue

1882

 

C. monody Chabanaud 1949

Sole

 

Senegalese tongue

 

 

C. senegalensis (Kamp, 1858)

Sole

 

Elongate tongue

 

 

Symphurus ligulatus

 

 

Dactylopteridae

Sole

 

Flying furnard

(Cocco, 1844)

 

Dactylopterus volitans

 

 

Drepanidae

 

 

African sickle fish

(1758)

 

Drepane africana

 

 

Elopidae

 

 

West African

Osorio, 1892

 

Elops lacerta

 

 

Engraulididae

Lady fish

 

European anchovy

valenciennes, 1846

 

Engraulis encrasicolus

(L. 1758)

 

EphippididaeAfrican spade fishChaetodipterus goreensis

 

(Cuvier 1831)

West African

 

Spage fish

C. lippie

 

Steindachner, 1895

FistulariidaeBlue spotted

 

Cornet fish

Fistularia tabacaria

 

L. 1758

GerreidaeFlagfin mojarraEucinostomus

 

Melanopterus (Bleeker

1863) (= Gerres melano

 

pterus (Bleeker 1863)

Guinea stripped

 

Mojarra

Gerres nigri

 

Gunther 1859

GrammistidaeGreater soapfishRypticus saponaceus

 

(Bloch & Schneider 1801)

 

 

Pomadasyidae)

 

 

Big eye grunt

Haemulidae

 

Brachydeuterus auritus

(Valenciennes 1831)

 

sompat gruntPomadasys jubelini

 

(Cuvier 1830).

Pigsnout gruntP. rogerii (Cuvier 1830)

 

( = P. suillus)

Hemiranpinidae

 

Lutjanidae

Balihoo halfbeak

 

African red

Hemramphus brasiliensis

 

Lutjanus agennes

Snapper

 

African brown

Bleeker 1863

 

L dentatus (Dumeril

Snapper

 

Gorean snapper

1860)

 

L. goreensis (Valencinnes, 1830

MegalopidaeAtlantic tarponMegalops atlanticus

 

(Valencinnes 1846)

MugilidaeSickle fin mulletLiza facipinnis

 

(Valencinnes 1836)

Large scaled mulletL. grandisquamis

 

(Valencinnes 1836

Flat head greyMugil cephalus (. 1758)

OPPORTUNITIES IN ICHTHYOLOGY

Opportunities to study fish are limitless; they exist for everyone whether or not they are professional Ichthyogists. Research opportunities are boundless in all of the aspects of ichthoyology; much more is unknown than is known. There is teaching position, which is not yet occupied. As at present, fewest are those in which the primary responsibility is to study and to teach ichthyology.

There are curatorial opportunities of developing, canning and studying of collections in museums. About 20 museums in North Africa need ichthyologists amounting to between 35 and 50 curatorial jobs. Duties include development care and study of old and new collections, supervision of public exhibitions, answering of questions and correspondence from the public and the preparation for publication of scientific research.

Many curators (all those at museums associated with educational institutions) are graduate straining programmes and other forms of teaching. There is often keen competition for these positions, which typically require a Ph D degree. In recent years, however, a technical position titled collection manager requires far less formal training.

The great commercial fisheries – e.g. professional fisheries, farm management aquaculture, sales of fish products as in cold rooms, fish game, ornamental fish production bait fishes are available for people who have training on ichthyology. Trained personnel are needed in managing the fisheries of marine and inland waters and also those of reservoirs and hatcheries – fingerling production.

The expanding nature of the fisheries field affords many opportunities for employment in areas not previously investigated. Opportunities are also opened in area of environmental impact assessment, hobbies of recreational fishing and aquarium care. Other job opportunities include direct fishing (as a fisherman), fishing gear making selling or repair, boat making or repair, fresh fish selling, sale of processed/preserved fish, canned fish selling, shrimp selling, ice block making, making of different types of fish processing machines, ovens, fish pond construction and a host of others.

See also:

FISHES AND THEIR ENVIRONMENT

CLASSIFICATION OF FISH OR AQUATIC ANIMALS

INTRODUCTION TO FISHERIES MANAGEMENT

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