Condition Factor, Food and Feeding Habit of Chrysichthys nigrodigitatus (Siluriformes: Bagridae) from Lower River Benue, Makurdi, Nigeria

Background and Objective: The feeding habit as well as the condition factor of Chrysichthys nigrodigitatus from lower river Benue was studied between July 2015 and September 2015.

Materials and Methods: The natural food of the fish in the Lower River Benue was studied from stomach contents of the fish. A total of 100 stomachs were randomly examined and analyzed using two methods; the frequency of occurrence and point methods. About 92 had food items while 8 were empty. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to test for significant difference at 95% confidence limit in the food eaten by these species and also the degree of stomach fullness.

Results: Food items encountered using frequency of occurrence method include fish parts (47.62%), seeds (40.49%), sand/mud (30.09%), detritus (30.95%), digested food (29.76%), insect parts (27.38%), mollusk (25.00%) and algae (22.62%).

Conclusion: C. nigrodigitatus had a euryphagous food habits and based on condition factor the fish were in good health.