Sex Ratio, Length-Weight Relationship And Condition Factor Of Ethmalosa Fimbriata In The Cross River Estuary, Nigeria.

Abstract

A total of 855 samples of Ethmalosa fimbriata were collected from the Cross River Estuary between January to August 2014 for length-weight, sex ratio and condition factor determinations. The males dominated the populations with a total of 315 followed by 304 juveniles and 236 females with a corresponding sex ratio of 1:1:1.3. E. fimbriata exhibited negative allometric growth pattern with exponent b=2.303, a=0.086 indicating that the growth was not proportional in all directions and that the species was slimmer as it grows. The mean condition factor revealed that the species was in good condition with a corresponding values of 0.81± 0.147, 0.978 ± 0.745, 0.98 ± 0.121, 1.22 ± 1.38 and 1.06 ± 0.84, respectively, for the males, the females, the pooled sex, juveniles and the three categories merged together. The variations in growth of E. fimbriata could be attributed to climate change and prevailing ecological conditions of the environment.