Survey of Tilapia consumption in Benue State Nigeria: A case study of Makurdi Metropolis (Published)
This study examined and verified the interest of consumers on Tilapia consumption in makurdi metropolis Benue state. 50 structured questionnaires were used by random sampling techniques to collect Data from respondents. Statistical analysis was carried out using frequency distribution and statistical packages for social sciences (SPSS) the study reveals high consumers preference for Tilapia consumption, it was observed that family size and educational level have a significant positive effect on consumption of Tilapia. The result also revealed significantly high (p<0.05) tilapia consumption among married (60%) and students (48%). Family size of 6-10 accounted for 26% while 1-5 made up 18% consumption levels respectively. Fourteen percent (14%) of the study shows that tilapia consumption is high in Makurdi and can contribute to the economic growth of Benue state and Nigeria at large. Therefore, fish farmers should engage themselves in production of tilapia for improved wellbeing and overall benefits of farmers, marketers and the nation.
Keywords: Consumer preference, Consumption, Survey, Tilapia
Morphological Variation of Cichlids from Kainji Lake, Nigeria (Published)
This study was designed to evaluate morphological variations of cichlids from the Kainji lake, Niger State in Nigeria. 200 samples of cichlids comprising four species (Oreochromis niloticus, Tilapia zilli, Pelmatolapia mariae and Sarotherodon galilaeus) were collected from the lake and a total of thirty morphometric measurements and meristic counts were recorded. Data was corrected to eliminate size effect on sample and subjected to discriminant function analysis to determine rate of divergence among species. Results obtained revealed significant variation in some morphometric parameters measured and all six meristic counts recorded. Growth pattern revealed negative allometric growth for O. niloticus (2.29), T. mariea (0.72) and S. galilaeus (2.47) while T. zilli, had a positive allometric growth. Discriminant analysis showed some levels of overlap across species for both morphometric measurement and meristic count. Interspecific distance was closest between T. zilli and O. niloticus (14.70) while the farthest distance was recorded between T. zilli and S. galilaeus (52.40). The observable overlap among species despite morphometric and genetic differences may have been as a result of similar species adaptations in response to the prevailing environmental conditions.
Keywords: Lake, Man Made Lake, Meristic Count, Morphometric Parameters, Tilapia