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
| Hepsetidea Lepidosirenidae | African pike African Longfish | Hepsetus odoe (Bloch 1794) Protopterus annectes |
| (Owen 1939) | ||
| Malapteruridae | Electric catfish | Malapterurus electicus (Gmelin 1789) |
| Mochocidae | Catfish | Mochocus niloticus Synodontis batensod |
| Ruppell 1832
S. Schall Bloch Schruder 1801 |
||
| S. clarias Linne 1761
S. filamentous Bountger 1901 |
||
| S. membraneous (Geoffery Saint Hilaire 1809 | ||
| Mormyridae | Trunk Fish | Gnathonemus tamasdua (Gunter 1862) |
| G. senegalensis elongates (Praff 1933) | ||
| Hyperopisus bebe occidentalis (Gunter 1866) | ||
| Mormyrus deliciosus (Leach 1818 | ||
| M. macrophthalmus Gunter 1866 | ||
| Notopteridae Ophiocephalidae | Trunk Fish Snake head | M. rume C & V. 1846 Paraphiocephalus obscures |
|
Osteoglossidae |
Gunter 1861
Heterotis niloticus (Cuvier 1829) |
|
| Polypteridae | Sail fish Sail fish of | Calamichthys calabaricus Polypterus ansorgei |
| Birchirs | Boulenger 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). | ||
| Tetraodontidae | Butter fish | Tetraodon 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 shark | A. 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 |
| Laminidae | Great white shark | Carcharodon carcharias (L. 1758). |
| Odontaspididae Pseudocarchariidae | Sand tiger shark Crocodile sharks | Eugomphodus 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) |
||
| Pristidae | Large toothe | Pristis microdon Latham 1794 (=Pristis perotteti Muller & |
|
Smasll tooth |
Henle
P. Pectinata Latham 1794 |
|
|
Dasyatidae |
Common sawfish Rough tail sting ray | P. 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) |
||
| Mobulidae | Giant Atlantic | Mmanta birostris (Donnderff, 1798 |
| Manta | Mobula rochebrunei (Vaillant, 1879 | |
| Moliobatidae | Common eagle ray | Myliobatis 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 fish | Steindachner 1876 Albula vulpes (L. 1758) |
| Longfin bonefish | Pterothrissus belloci Cadenat, 1937. | |
| Ariidae | Rough head sea | Arius gambiensis, Cadenat, 1950 |
| Catfish | (= A. latiscutatus) Gunther 1864 | |
| Giant catfish Smooth mouth sea | A. 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) | ||
| Balistidae | Grey trigger fish | Balistes capriscus Gmelin 1788
B. Punctatus Gmelin 1788 |
| Batrachoididae | Hairy toad fish | Batrachoides liberiensis (Steindachner 1867) |
| Bothidae | Cape scald fish | Arnog 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 jack | C. 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 pompano | Trachinotus goreensis (Cuvier, 1832) | |
| Trachurus trachurus (L> 1758 | ||
| ( = T. capensis | ||
| T. trecae Cadnat, 1949 | ||
| Chlorophthalmidae | Atlantic greeneye | Chloropthalmus 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) |
||
| Corphaenidae | Pompano 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) |
| Sparidae | Bogue
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 |
| Synodontidae | Brazillian lézard
Fish |
Saurida brasiliensis
Norman, 1935 |
|
Trichiuridae |
Large head hair |
(=S. parri)
Trichiurus lepturus |
| Tail | L. 1758 |
| Xiphiidae
Zeidae |
Swordfish
John dory |
xiphias gladius L.1758
Zeus faber L. 1758 |
| CRUSTRACEA
Geryonidae |
West African |
Geryon maritae |
| Geryon | Manning & Holthius 1981
(= Geryon quiquedens |
|
| Palaemonidae | Congo 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 shrimp | Palaemonetes Africans
Balss 1916 |
|
| Penaeidae | Guinea shrimp | Parapenaeopsis 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) |
| Ephippididae | African spade fish | Chaetodipterus goreensis
(Cuvier 1831) |
| West African
Spage fish |
C. lippie
Steindachner, 1895 |
|
| Fistulariidae | Blue spotted
Cornet fish |
Fistularia tabacaria
L. 1758 |
| Gerreidae | Flagfin mojarra | Eucinostomus
Melanopterus (Bleeker |
| 1863) (= Gerres melano
pterus (Bleeker 1863) |
||
| Guinea stripped
Mojarra |
Gerres nigri
Gunther 1859 |
|
| Grammistidae | Greater soapfish | Rypticus saponaceus
(Bloch & Schneider 1801) |
|
Pomadasyidae) |
Big eye grunt |
Haemulidae
Brachydeuterus auritus |
| (Valenciennes 1831) |
| sompat grunt | Pomadasys jubelini
(Cuvier 1830). |
|
| Pigsnout grunt | P. 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 |
|
| Megalopidae | Atlantic tarpon | Megalops atlanticus
(Valencinnes 1846) |
| Mugilidae | Sickle fin mullet | Liza facipinnis
(Valencinnes 1836) |
| Large scaled mullet | L. grandisquamis
(Valencinnes 1836 |
|
| Flat head grey | Mugil 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: