Length-Weight Relationship and Condition Factor of Bagrus bayad (Fabricius, 1775, Bagridae) from Lake Albert, DR Congo

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Open Access Library Journal
2023, Volume 10, e9614
ISSN Online: 2333-9721
ISSN Print: 2333-9705
DOI:
10.4236/oalib.1109614 Feb. 27, 2023 1 Open Access Library
Journal
Length-Weight Relationship and Condition
Factor of Bagrus bayad (Fabricius, 1775,
Bagridae) from Lake Albert, DR Congo
Joseph M. Matunguru1,2,3,4*, Gabriel M. Okito1,2,5, Jonas J. Uvon5,6, Gaston T. Hamulonge7,
Richard Rugadya7,8, Herbert Nakiyende3,9, Godfrey K. Kubiriza3, Peter Akoll3,
Mbalassa Mulongaibalu5, Alex Lina5, Venant M. Nshombo5,10, Jean-Claude Micha11,
Gaspard Ntakimazi2
1Ecole Doctorale de l’Université du Burundi, Bujumbura, Burundi
2Centre de Recherche en Sciences Naturelles et de l’Environnement (CRSNE), Faculté des Sciences, Université du Burundi,
Bujumbura, Burundi
3College of Natural Sciences, Department of Zoology, Entomology and Fisheries Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala,Uganda
4Département de l’Environnementale et Développement Durable, Institut Supérieur des Techniques de Développement de Kalehe
(ISTD/Kalehe), Kalehe, DR Congo
5Laboratoire d’Hydrobiologie, Aquaculture et Gestion des Ressources Naturelles (LHAGREN), Université Officielle de Bukavu,
Karhale Kadutu, Bukavu, DR Congo
6Faculté des Sciences Agronomiques Université Shalom de Bunia (USB), Bunia, République Démocratique du Congo
7Université Libre de Bunyakiri, ULBu, Kalehe, Sud-Kivu, DR Congo
8Department of Aquaculture Management and Development, Directorate fisheries resources, Ministry of Agriculture,
Animal Industry and Fisheries, Kampala, Uganda
9National Fisheries Research Institute (NAFIRRI), Jinja, Uganda
10Centre de Recherche en Hydrobiologie, CRH-Uvira, Uvira, DR Congo
11Unité de Recherche en Biologie Environnementale et Evolutive (URBE), Université de Namur, Namur, Belgique
Abstract
This study provides information on the length-weight relationship and con-
dition factor of
Bagrus bayad,
a fish species from Lake Albert. These variables
were analysed from 520 samples collected from Lake Albert (DR Congo) be-
tween January and December 2020. The mean total length and total weight
of
B. bayad
, (combined sexes) were 47.43 ± 7.81 (cm) and 495.34 ±
293.36 (g),
respectively. The
b
-value of the weight-
length relationship varied from 2.20 to
3.21. Males exhibited a negative allometric growth while females showed iso-
metric growth. There was a strong positive correlati
on between length and
weight, of
B. bayad
(
i.e.
, LnTW = 2.72LnTL − 1.88; R2 = 0.875) and for fe-
males (
i.e.
, LnTW = 2.742LnTL − 1.95; R2 = 0.739). The length-
weight ratio
for both sexes was (LnTW = 2.8812LnTL − 2.1686) with a correlation coeffi-
cient r
2
= 0.837.
B. bayad
exhibited negative allometric growth pattern. The
How to cite this paper: Matunguru, J.M.,
Okito, G.M., Uvon, J.J., Hamulonge, G.T.,
Rugadya, R., Nakiyende, H., Kubiriza, G.K.,
Akoll, P.,
Mulongaibalu,
M., Lina, A.,
Nshombo, V.M., Micha, J.
-
C. and Ntakimazi,
G.
(2023) Length-
Weight Relationship and
Condition Factor of
Bagrus bayad
(Fabricius,
1775, Bagridae) from Lake Albert, DR Congo.
Open Access Library Jou
rnal
,
10
: e9614.
https://doi.org/10.4236/oalib.1109614
Received:
November 25, 2022
Accepted:
February 24, 2023
Published:
February 27, 2023

J. M. Matunguru et al.
DOI:
10.4236/oalib.1109614 2
Open Access Library Journal
result indicated that there was no significant difference between the mean
condition factor of male and female of
B. bayad
(P >
0.05). The condition
factor for both sexes of
B. bayad
observed in rainy seasons (females K = 0.78
± 0.134 and males K = 0.825 ±
0.127) were significantly in dry season than the
mean values of males (females K = 0.76 ± 0.286 and males K = 0.829 ±
0.128).
The overall condition factor was 0.80 ±
0.12 for males and females combined,
but individually this factor was higher in males than in females during both
seasons. This study provides baseline information about
B. bayad
from Lake
Albert that is needed to develop strategies for the protection and sustainable
exploitation of this species.
Subject Areas
Hydrology
Keywords
Length-Weight Relationship, Condition Factor, Growth Pattern,
B. bayad
,
Lake Albert
1. Introduction
Bagrus
fishes are also known as naked catfishes belong to the family Bagridae
that is constituted of 30 genera and over 200 species. Like other catfishes, the
Bagrids have four pairs of well-developed barbels that are covered with a layer of
taste bud-enriched epithelium (Zhang
et al
., 2006) [1]. Bagrid catfishes are eco-
logically and economically important because they play silent roles in determin-
ing the dynamics and structure of the aquatic ecosystem and serve as food for
humans. Moreover, some species serve as ornamental aquarium fishes (Nelson,
2006) [2].
Bagrus bayad
is widely spread in African rivers and lakes, in Benin,
Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Mali, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Sudan, Ni-
geria, Tanzania, and Uganda (Froese and Pauly, 2009) [3]. The species has been
recorded in the Nile River, Niger, Senegal, Congo, Volta Lake, and Chad Basins.
The general ecology of bagrids in some aquatic ecosystems has been studied
(Fagade, 1980 [4]; Ogbe and Fagade, 2002 [5]; Ogbe
et al
., 2003 [6]; Ogbe
et al
.,
2006 [7]), however, detailed studies such as reproduction biology, diet, and
growth patterns of this fish species remain very limited in most of the Nile Basin
water bodies and into the Lake Albert in particular.
Length-weight relationship parameters (a, b) are important in stock-assessment
studies (Moutopoulos and Stergiou, 2002) [8] because they are often used to in-
fer fish biomass status (Froese, 1998) [9]. These parameters are also used to
compare growth of fish species (Petrakis and Stergiou, 1995) [10], and serve as a
practical index for fish condition (Barros
et al
., 2001) [11].
a
and
b
parameters
from the length-weight relationship can also be used to compare populations of
the same species living in similar or different ecosystems (Stergiou and Mouto-
Copyright © 2023 by author(s) and Open
Access Library Inc
.
This work is licensed under the Creative
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License (CC BY
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Open Access

J. M. Matunguru et al.
DOI:
10.4236/oalib.1109614 3 Open Access Library
Journal
poulos, 2001 [12]; Thomas
et al
., 2003 [13]; Odat, 2003 [14]). Fish living in the
tropical and sub-tropical water system experience growth fluctuations due to
changes in food composition, environmental variability and spawning condi-
tions. Length-weight data provide important information that is used to monitor
fish structure and functions of populations (Anderson and Neumann, 1996) [15].
Indeed, knowledge of the morphological parameters, such as the length-weight
relationship and condition factor are parameters that define the well-being of
fish, and reflect the feeding conditions of exploited species that are essential for
sustainable management of their stocks (Le Cren, 1951 [16]; Hailu,
et al
. 2001
[17] and Konan, 2021 [18]). Unfortunately, few studies (if anything) have been
conducted on the Congolese side of Lake Albert to elucidate the morphological
parameters of
B. bayad
. Like on lakes Kivu, Edward, and Victoria, most studies
on lake Albert have explored feeding behaviour and fish diets (Greenwood, 1956
[19]; Verbeke, 1959 [20]), socioeconomics of artisanal fishing (Chikwanine,
2020) [21] and the value chain of
Bagrus spp
(Matunguru
et al
., 2020) [22]. Little
is known about biological parameters of this species. The only available data on
morphometric variation among
B. docmac
populations exists on the Ugandan
side (Mwanja
et al
., 2014) [23]. Therefore, this study examined the morphome-
tric characteristics mainly length-weight relationship and condition factor of
B.
bayad
populations on the Congolese side of Lake Albert to inform better manage-
ment of the species. Therefore, this knowledge is mandatory for considering priori-
ty options regarding the management and conservation of
B. bayad
in Lake Albert.
Therefore, this paper sets out to document the growth aspects (length-weight rela-
tionship and condition factor) in Lake Albert to provide the necessary scientific
information for proper utilization and management of the stock.
2. Materials and Methods
2.1. Study Area
Lake Albert (Figure 1), formerly known as Lake Mobutu Sese Seko, is shared
between Uganda (54%) and the Democratic Republic of the Congo-DRC (46%)
and is situated at the northern tip of the Western Arm of the African Great Rift
Valley (coordinates 1˚0'N 30˚5'E). Compared to other large African Great Lakes
(AGL), Lake Albert is relatively shallow and comparatively small, with an aver-
age depth of 25 meters and a surface area of 5300 km2. Its outlet, at the northern
most tip, is the Albert Nile, also known as the White Nile, which joins the Blue
Nile in South Sudan to form the famous River Nile that flows through Egypt to
the Mediterranean Sea. The lake’s annual average water temperatures range be-
tween 17 and 29 degrees Celsius (Matunguru
et al
., 2022) [24].
2.2. Materials
We used specimens of the
B. bayad
species as biological material. For the site lo-
cation, we used a GPS (Geographic Position System) device to collect the geo-
graphical coordinates, which led to the location map of the sampling sites.

J. M. Matunguru et al.
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Figure 1. Sampling sites localization in Lake Albert in DR Congo side.
Specimens were obtained from fishermen operating on Lake Albert. Fishermen
used various fishing gears that included hand nets, cast nets, and gill nets of var-
ious mesh sizes (20.2; 25.4; and 30; 5 mm). Total weight (TW) and gutted weight
(GW) were measured to the nearest 0.01 g using a sensitive Mettler electronic
scale. For each fish specimen, the total length (TL) and standard length (SL)
were measured at landing site to the nearest 1 mm using ichthyometer.
2.3. Methods
2.3.1. Sampling Procedure and Sample Size
A total of 520 specimens of
B. bayad
were obtained monthly from six sampling
sites (Drigi, Kicha ya drigi, Grand Bale, Ingbokolo, Njerere, Songa Tabu) in the
south-western sector of Lake Albert (Figure 1) for a period of one year (Decem-

J. M. Matunguru et al.
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10.4236/oalib.1109614 5 Open Access Library
Journal
ber 2019 to December 2020). Samples were usually collected in the mornings
between 7.00 am-9.00 am and in the evenings between 4:30 pm-6:30 pm.
The total length and standard length were measured according to Olatunde
(1977) [25] with an Ichtyometer placed on measuring board graduated at 1 cm
interval. The sex and maturity of each fish specimen were determined by visual
examination of the urogenital opening (Holden and Raitt, 1974) [26] where the
females had a circular scaleless area around their urogenital opening, while
males' scaleless area was more oblong.
2.3.2. Data processing
1) Relationship between Total length (TL) and Standard length (SL)
The relationship between total length and standard length was established by
least squares regression. In a situation of accidental loss of the caudal fin, Equa-
tion (1) was used to estimate the total length.
TL SLab= +
(1)
where
a
represents the ordinate at the origin and
b
the slope of the regression
line.
2) Relationship between total weight and total body length
The relationship between total length and total weight of fishes is, in general, a
power function (Le Cren, 1951) [16].
PT LT
b
a=
(2)
This equation is linear in the following form
ln PT ln ln LTab
= +
(3)
where;
Ln is the natural logarithm, PT
is
the body weight in g, LT is the total length
in cm,
a is
the regression constant and
b
is the allometric coefficient
This transformation makes it possible to reduce the variability and to homo-
genize the two variables TL and TW (Chikou, 2006) [27]. The constants
a
and
b
are respectively characteristic factors of the environment of the species. The
coefficient
b
varies between 2 and 4, but it is often close to 3. When it is statisti-
cally equal to 3, the growth is said to be isometric. When it is different from 3,
the growth is said to be allometric. A coefficient
b
greater than 3 (positive allo-
metry) indicates better growth in weight than in length and vice versa when
b
is
less than 3 (negative allometry) (Ricker, 1980) [28].
3) Condition Factor (K) calculation
The condition factor
K
expresses the ratio between the weight and the length
of the fish according to Bagenal and Tesch (1978) [29]. The condition factor, (
K
)
was determined using the equation:
PT 100
LT
b
K= ×
(4)
with TW and TL the variables used to establish the weight-length relationship of
the species,
b
being the allometric coefficient obtained.

J. M. Matunguru et al.
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4) Statistical analyses
Data were analysed using Statistical software for data science: STATA soft-
ware (Version 14). One-way Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to analyse
data to extract the morphometric variables, to generate the frequencies of the
length distributions. This software helped as well to establish morphometric re-
lationships of the regression equations for the
B. bayad
species. Student’s t-test
and Wilcoxon’s -test was used to compare their
b
values to 3 in the weight-
length relationship in individuals of the same species. Student’s t-test and Wil-
coxon’s test were used to test the equality of the different parameters while the
F-test was used in the comparison of b-values to 3 in the total weight-length re-
lationship. The Shapiro test was used to test data normality. All the tests were
carried out at the 95% significance level.
3. Results
3.1. Morphometric Variables
Table 1 presents the mean, median, minimum, maximum values and the stan-
dard deviation of the total length, standard length, total and eviscerated body
weights of 520 specimens of
Bagrus bajad
from Lake Albert. In general, the
highest total length and total body weight of both sexes combined were recorded
at TL 79.4 cm - 2115 g, respectively. The recorded values for females were TL
79.4 cm and TW 2115 g, while that of males were TL 61.4 cm and TW 1630 g
respectively. The average lengths and total weight were 47.43 cm and 495.34 g
for females and 49.50 cm and 577.17g for males. The smallest length and body
weight values recorded for both sexes were 30.4 cm and 10 g respectively. Results
in Table 1 show that males of
B. Bayad
were moderately smaller than females.
3.2. General Structure by Size
Figures 2-4 present the different length frequency distributions of
B. bayad
Table 1. Morphometric variables of
B. bayad
from Lake Albert.
Season
Male
Female
Combined
(N = 520)
Rainy (n = 118)
Dry (n = 120)
Rainy (n = 137)
Dry (n = 145)
TL avg
45.45 ± 5.58
44.50 ± 5.49
49.55 ± 9.97
49.45 ± 7.55
47.43 ± 7.81
TLmin-max
33 - 61.4
30.4 - 57.3
32 - 79.4
35 - 77
30.4 - 79.4
SL avg
37.02 ± 4.58
36.45 ± 4.79
39.99 ± 8.10
40.41 ±
38.62 ± 6.52
SL min-max
29.5 - 54.5
25.5 - 49.5
26 - 65
27.3 - 66
25.5 - 66
TW avg
405.60 ± 152.65
391.95 ± 192.82
588.61 ± 400.37
566.28 ± 283.32
495.34 ± 293.36
TW min-max
210 - 1215
10 - 1630
105 - 2065
145 - 2115
10 - 2115
GW avg
259.55 ± 97.67
250.82 ± 123.40
376.69 ± 256.25
362.38 ± 181.34
316.98 ± 187.75
GW min-max
134.4 - 777.6
6.4 - 1043.2
67.2 - 1321.6
92.8 - 1353.6
6.4 - 1353.6
N = number of individuals, TL = total length in cm, SL = standard length in cm, TW = total weight in g, GW = gutted weight in g,
Max = maximum, Min = minimum, Avg: average, Med = medium.

J. M. Matunguru et al.
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Journal
Figure 2. Frequency distribution of the total length according to Sex of
B. bayad
from Lake Albert, DR Congo.
Figure 3. Frequency distribution of the total length according to sex and season of
B. bayad
from Lake Albert, DR Congo.

J. M. Matunguru et al.
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Open Access Library Journal
Figure 4.
Frequency distribution of the total length according to sex and season of
B. bayad
from Lake Albert, DR
Congo.
from Lake Albert. All individuals of these species exhibited a unimodal distribu-
tion. Most of the females are close to the modal size unlike the males.
3.3. Morphometric Relationships
Table 2 presents the relationships between total length and standard length, the
relationships between these two lengths and total body weight, the regression
Equations
between total length, standard length and total weight, as well as the
coefficient of determination r2 according to sex. The correlation is positive,
r
2
varying from 0.739 (Females) to 0.949 (Males). The relationship between TW
and TL reflects negative allometric growth (H1:
b
< 3, p < 0.05) for both sexes
combined. For females, overall growth is isometric (H0:
b
= 3, p = 0.11); it is
positive allometric in the dry season and negative in the rainy season. For males,
allometric growth is negative in the rainy season and positive allometric in the
dry season. Table 3 and Table 4 show the statistical description of
Bagrus bajad
.
3.4. Condition Factor (K) and Variation of Values a, b and r2
The coefficient values of the relationship between total length and total weight
was 0.138 for both sexes combined. They varied from 0.142 for females to 0.164
for males. Regarding the season, the factor
a
varied from 0.064 in the dry season

J. M. Matunguru et al.
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Journal
for females to 0.181 in the rainy season for males. As for the average condition
factor (
K
), the value is 0.80 for all sexes combined. However, it varied from 0.77
for females to 0.83 for males. The lowest mean value of
K
was observed in the
Table 2. Morphometric relationships and Growth Types of
B. bayad
(from samples of 520 specimens) from the Lac Albert, DR
Congo.
Season
Females
Males
Combined
Combined
Rainy
Dry
Combined
Rainy
Dry
N
238
118
120
282
137
145
520
TL =
a
+
b
SL
7.22 + 1.03-SL
9.17 + 0.98SL
5.65 + 1.07SL
4.49 + 1.12SL
3.45 + 1.15SL
5.99 + 1.08SL
4.52 + 1.11SL
ES(
b
)
0.038
0.067
0.039
0.024
0.037
0.30
0.020
r
2
0.869
0.805
0.930
0.941
0.937
0.949
0.928
LnTW = ln
a
+
b
LnSL
−1.959 +
2.896LnSL
0.473 +
1.781LnSL
−2.602 +
3.300LnSL
−1.746 +
2.785LnSL
−1.787 +
2.810LnSL
−1.522 +
2.645LnSL
−1.89 +
2.864LnSL
ES(
b
)
0.144
0.114
0.248
0.071
0.092
0.113
0.068
r2
0.794
0.889
0.774
0.919
0.934
0.890
0.882
LnTW = ln
a
+
b
LnTL
−1.953 +
2.737LnTL
−1.060 +
2.203LnTL
−2.743 +
3.212LnTL
−1.806 +
2.670LnTL
−1.709 +
2.608LnTL
−1.983 +
2.778LnTL
−1.978 +
2.763LnTL
a
0.142
0.35
0.064
0.164
0.181
0.137
0.138
ES(
b
)
0.162
0.134
0.286
0.090
0.127
0.128
0.079
r2
0.739
0.836
0.719
0.875
0.870
0.877
0.840
Kavg
0.77
0.78
0.76
0.83
0.825
0.829
0.80
K
min
0.03
0.35
0.03
0.11
0.108
0.109
0.03
K
max
1.85
1.32
1.85
1.53
1.30
1.53
1.85
GT
I
A-
A+
A-
A-
I
A-
TL = Total length; SL = Standard length; TW = Total weight; KAvg = K average; Kmin = K minimum; Kmax = K maximum; GT =
Growth Type.
Table 3. Statistical description obtained for
Bagrus bajad
in different fishing stations of Lake Albert.
Station
Total Length (cm)
Total Weight (g)
K
Min.-Max
Moy ± SD
Min.-Max.
Moy. ± SD
Min.-Max
Moy. ± SD
DRIG
37 - 79.4
51.4 ± 10.5
105 - 2065
641.6 ± 519.5
0.04 - 0.6
0.3 ± 0.12
GREBA
33 - 77
47.9 ± 8.04
72 - 4000
565.0 - 365.02
0.05 - 1.0
0.4 ± 0.09
ING
32 - 70
47.1 ± 7.1
155 - 1745
492.8 ± 259.3
0.3 - 2.7
0.6 ± 0.2
JUSK
40.2 - 48.5
44.5 ± 2.7
250 - 560
357.8 ± 77.4
0.3 - 0.5
0.4 ± 0.04
NJE
40.5 - 51
46.4 ± 4.2
315 - 550
410.8 ± 90.3
0.3 - 0.5
0.4 ± 0.04
SOTA
39 - 64.4
47.3 ± 7.6
250 - 1065
497.4 ± 259.9
0.3 - 0.7
0.5 ± 0.08
Min: minimum; Max: maximum; SD: Standard Deviation; M: Mean; K: Condition Coefficient; DRIG: Drigi, GREBA: Grand Bale,
ING: Ingbokolo; JUSK: Ju ya skul.

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dry season (0.76) for females and the highest in the rainy season (0.78). The
Shapiro Wilk test showed that the condition factor was not normal (n = 520, W
= 0.843, p = 0.00). The average value of the correlation coefficient (
r2
)
was 0.84
for both combined sexes. The minimal value was 0.739 for females and 0.875 for
males.
4. Discussion
The results of this study showed that the maximum total lengths and total body
weights values of both sexes combined were in accordance with some previous
investigations in some african water bodies (Table 5). El-Sedfy (1976) [30], Ha-
shem (1977) [31], El-Badavy (1991) [32], Mohamed (2005) [33], Kantoussan
et
al
. (2005) [34], El-Drawany (2015) [35] had found
different results for the same
species in different water bodies.
The length-weight regression coefficient (2.79) was close to the cube of the
length as found by Vakily (1989) [36] for
B. docmac
in River Congo (Zaire and
for
B. docmac
in Lake Chamo-Ethiopia (Hailu
et al
. (2001) [17].
Entsua
et al
. (1995) [37] working on
B. bayad
from the tributaries of the Volta
River (Ghana) and Alimoso (1989) [38] studying
Bagrus meridionalis
in Lake
Malawi have respectively reported negative allometric growth regression coefficients
Table 4. Statistical description of Bagrus bajad by sex in Lake Albert.
Sex
Total Length (cm)
Total Weight (g)
K
Min.-Max
Moy ± SD
Min.-Max.
Moy. ± SD
Min.-Max
M. ± SD
F
30.4 - 61.4
44.9 ± 5.5
10.0 - 1630
308.7 ± 173.8
0.01 - 1.0
0.4 ± 0.09
M
32.0 - 79.4
49.5 ± 8.8
105 - 4000
589 ± 400.1
0.04 -2.7
0.4 ± 0.1
Chi2
34.319
47.234
12.701
Signification
***
***
ND
(Min: Minimum; Max: Maximum; SD: Standard Deviation; M: Mean; K: Condition Coefficient; DRIG: Drigi, GREBA: Grand Bale,
ING: Ingbokolo; JUSK: Ju ya skul, ***: Significant difference at p < 0.001), ND: Not Significant Difference).
Table 5. Previous results of maximum length (cm) and maximum weight (g) of
B. bayad
in various water bodies.
Authors
Lake/River
Maximum length (cm)
Maximum Weight (g)
Male
Female
Male
Female
El-Sedfy (1976) [30]
River Nile (Ethipia)
63.14
78.02
Hashem (1977) [31]
Nozhahydrodrom (Ethiopia)
75
85
3668
5057
El-Badawy 1991 [32]
River Nile High Dame (Egypt)
2789
Mohamed (2005) [33]
Beni-Suef (Ethiopia)
64.6
1788
Kantoussan et. al. (2009) [34]
River Nile (Egypt)
75.6
El-Drawany (2015) [35]
River Nile (Egypt)
87
89
Present Study 2020 in Lake Albert DRC
Lake Albert (DRC)
61.4
77
2115
2115

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very close to the cube. In the present study, the
b
value indicates that
B. bayad
in
lake Albert has allometric growth pattern where the fish becomes more round in
shape as it increases in length (Bagenal and Tesch, 1978) [39]. Condition factor
for both males and females remained relatively constant during most of the
sampling seasons, except in dry season where females had lower conditions fac-
tors than males. This suggests that the fat reserves are not seriously depleted
during gonad development. In fact, condition of fish slightly improved.
From our findings, it revealed that the
b
et
K
values (
b
= 2.79 and
K
= 0.837)
observed for
B. bayad
in Lake Albert are similar to those respectively reported by
Kaningini (1995) [40] on the
Limnothrissa miodon
(
b
= 2.7; and
K
= 0.8) in
Lake Kivu, Bukavu basin (DR Congo) and close to Mahy (1981) [41] who found
b
values between 2.11 and 3.42 for
L. miodon
in the northern sector of the same
waterbody. The annual variation of
b
values and the condition factors justify in-
fluence differently expressed by abiotic environment on the considered sizes
categories (Kaningini, 1995) [40].
In the Ouémé delta in Benin, Chikou (2006) [27] also observed a negative al-
lometric growth for
C. gariepinus
(b = 2.845). As from our study (
b
= 3.12 in dry
season and
b
= 2.55 in rainy season), the same growth type (
b
= 2.560 in rainy
season and
b
= 2.980 in dry season) have been reported for
Clarias gariepinus
into the Boalin reservoir, in Burkina Faso (Ouedraogo
et al.
, 2015) [42]. This
growth type is mainly dependant on the high growth potentials in length for this
species.
Otherwise, this study also showed that
B. bayad
growth for both combined
sexes was allometric positive in the dry season and negative in the rainy season.
The
b
-value of the lenght-weight relationship varied from 2.20 to 3.20. Negative
to isometric allometric growth was observed in females, while growth in males
was negative allometric. There is a positive correlation between leight and
weight. All regressions (Figures 2-4) show regardless of sex and season were
significantly different with the correlation coefficient (
r
2) varying from 0.719 to
0.869. Overexploitation of fish and unfavourable environmental conditions are
the cause of low growth. Several authors have reported isometric and allometric
growth patterns for different fish species from various water bodies. This agrees
with the “
b”
values of 2.911 and 2.794 recorded for
Clarias gariepinus
(African
sharptooth catfish) by (King, 1996a) [43]. Ogbé
et al
. (2006) [7] reported a posi-
tive allometric growth pattern for
B. bayad
from the Lower Benue River. In a re-
lated study, Ogbe and Ataguba (2008) [44] also reported an isometric growth
pattern for
Malapterurus electricus
in the Lower Benue River. The
“b
” value ob-
tained for
B. bayad
in this study falls within the range (2.20 - 3.13) reported for
Bagrids from the Volta River (Entsua-Mensah
et al.
, 1995) [37]. King (1991) re-
ported an allometric growth pattern for Tilapia species from Lake Umuoseriche.
The graph of the logarithmic transformation shows that the weight increases
faster at lower lengths than at higher lengths.
Ikongbeh
et al
. (2012) [45] found that the mean condition factor for
B. doc-

J. M. Matunguru et al.
DOI:
10.4236/oalib.1109614 12
Open Access Library Journal
mac
had values of “1” and above in Lake Akata in Nigeria, indicating that the
fish species are doing well in this lake. The condition factor obtained in this
study for
B. bajad
is lower compared to the condition factors of different species
of tropical fish studied and reported by Saliu (2001) [46] and Lizama
et al
. (2002)
[47]. This may be due to reduced food and prey availability. This behaviour
could be due to the fact that the
B. bayad
changed its feeding habits from insec-
tivorous (entomophagy-hematophagy, deep entomophagy) mostly composed of
Povilla, Chironomidae, Shrimps, Algae, animal and vegetation materials com-
posed as primary dite while various invertebrates like Trichoptera, Odonates,
Corixidae, Ostracods, young fish, molluscs, mud constituted the accessory diet
(Verbeke, 1959 [20] and Greedwood, 1959 [19]) to omnivorous feeding mainly
as piscivorous (eggs, larva and juveniles of
Orheocrhomis spp
and
Haplochromis
spp
) and insectivorous (Masirika et. al., 2022) [48]. Therefore, the study on food
composition and feeding habits of
B. Bayad
on Lake Albert showed that the fish
species adapted its diet and feeding habits according to variation of food re-
sources availability for its survival within a lake whose habitats and breeding
areas facing degradation of habitats due to anthropogenic activities within the
lake, as well as its catchment.
The overall condition factor was 0.80 ± 0.12 for males and females combined,
but individually this factor was higher in the males (0.83) than in the females
(0.76). Both sexes exhibited a negative allometric growth pattern. These results
indicate that there is a significant difference between the mean of condition fac-
tor per season (p > 0.05) unlike
B. nurse
(Saliu, 2001) [46]. This study is in
agreement with values reported for various cichlid fishes in Nigeria (King, 1991)
[49].
Seasonal comparison of growth values for
B. bayad
showed that there were
significant differences in condition factor between dry and rainy seasons (p >
0.05). This indicates that seasonal variations did affect the overall condition of
this fish during this study. Seasonal variation in fish condition factor has been
reported for
Leuciscus lepidus
and
Brycinus nurse
(Karabatak, 1997 [50]; Saliu,
2001 [46]). Despite these differences (Oni
et al
., 1983) [51] noted that the condi-
tion factor is not constant for a species or population over a time interval and
can be influenced by biotic and abiotic factors such as diet and the state of go-
nadal development (Saliu, 2001) [46]. Gomiero and Braga (2005) [52] reported
that the better condition during the wet season was due to food availability and
improved gonad development. Le Cren (1951) [16] also added that during the
dry season the condition of the females is very generally related to the seasons
and the seasonal evolution of the condition factor which is very often makes it
possible to determine the spawning period of a species because the ovaries whose
weight can represent up to 20% of the total weight of the individual emptied at
this time, which causes the condition factor to drop. It is also suggested (Samat,
et al.
, 2008) [53] that the condition of fish can be influenced by some extrinsic
factors such as changes in temperature and photoperiod. Masirika
et al
. (2022)

J. M. Matunguru et al.
DOI:
10.4236/oalib.1109614 13 Open Access Library
Journal
[48], showed that although the physico-chemical and nutriments parameters
from lake Albert are within the limits of aquatic life in lake Albert (pH = 7.2;
Temperature (T˚C) = 28.8˚C; Electronic Conductivity (EC) = 96.9; Ms/cm; Tur-
bity (T) = 27.25 mg/L; Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) = 48.46 mg/L; Total Hard-
ness (TH) = 54.8 mg/L; Dissolved oxygen(DO) = 7.63 mg/L; phosphates (PO4) =
1.4 mg/L and nitrites(NO2) = 0.25 mg/L), the results suggests that they are sub-
ject to strong variations over time. Changes in land use and land cover around
the basin and pollution from lake Albert’s tributary rivers may be fatal to the life
of biodiversity in the long term.
Regarding the stations, the results in Table 3 show that in the samples, both
juvenile and adult individuals were considered for all 6 stations surveyed in the
present study. The size of Bagrus bajad specimens caught at different stations
varied from 32 to 79.4 cm in total length with a weight ranging from 72 to 2065
g. The smallest individual was observed at the Ingbokolo station (ING) and the
largest at the Drigi station (DRIG). These two stations are located in the coastal
and pelagic areas of Lake Albert respectively. According to Petrakis and Stergiou
(1995) [10], when samples do not include a wide variation in size of individuals,
including both juveniles and adults, the use of Weight-Length relationships can
only be limited to the size range applied in the estimation of the linear regression
parameters. With regard to season, the results show a significant difference between
the size of males and females with larger values for males in the wet season.
The linear regressions were non-significant between male and female
Bagrus
bajad
(p > 0.05) for all the stations considered, with the coefficients of deter-
mination r2 > 0.70 for all the stations except for the Drigi ya Griki (DRGI) sta-
tion which showed a coefficient of determination less than 0.50. The growth
patterns by sex and station are recorded in Table 3 and Table 4. In general,
Bagrus bajad showed negative allometric growth (
b
< 3; p < 0.05) for both sex-
es and at almost all stations except Songa Tabu (SOTA) and Grand Bale
(GREBA) where males showed isometric growth and at Juu ya Skul (JUSK) sta-
tion for females.
The slope of the regression line b expresses the relative body shape of a fish
(Le Cren, 1951 [16], Kareem
et al
., 2015 [54]; Froese
et al
., 2014 [55]). The values
of b can indeed be influenced by sex, growth phase, stomach contents, level of
gonad development (Hossain
et al
., 2006) [56] and environmental conditions
(Baby
et al
., 2011) [57]. However, as with some authors (Lalèyè, 2006 [58]; Muz-
zalifah
et al
., 2015 [59]; Lederou
et al
., 2016 [60]; Mikembi
et al
., 2019 [61]), in
this study these parameters were not specifically taken into account during data
processing.
The values of the Bagrus bajad condition factors (
K
) of all the stations studied
are recorded in Table 3 and Table 4. Overall,
K
varies between 0.04 and 2.7 with
the lowest average obtained at Drigi ya Griki (0.04 - 0.06 (0.3 ± 0.12) and the
highest at Ingbokolo station (ING) 0.3 - 2.7 (0.6 ± 0.2). According to Bagenal
and Tesch (1978) [29], values between 2.9 and 4.8 are consistent for freshwater

J. M. Matunguru et al.
DOI:
10.4236/oalib.1109614 14
Open Access Library Journal
fish. In the present study, only 9.2% of Bagrus bajad individuals have mean K
values within the range of Bagenal and Tesch (1978) [29], 90.8% have lower val-
ues and 0% have higher values. According to Lévêque (2017) [62], hydrological
variability resulting from the seasonal distribution of rainfall or interannual va-
riability of precipitation have important consequences on the biology and dy-
namics of fish populations.
In addition, seasonal changes in water level with the creation of flood plains of
varying duration have an impact on the functioning of tropical hydrosystems
(Lowe-MacConnell, 1988) [63]. Periodic flood-storm alternations favour the
creation of a great diversity of habitats (Lévêque and Paugy, 2017) [62] and have
a major impact on the biology, physiology and ecology of fish populations (Bo-
lognini
et al
., 2013) [64]. In Lake Albert, seasonal water level variations are not
significant and floodplains are non-existent. A non-significant difference (p <
0.05) in water level was observed between the dry and rainy seasons in all sam-
pled stations. This may explain the low values obtained.
A similar situation was reported by Ibala Zamba (2010) [65] in the Lefini river
basin in the Republic of Congo; by Lederou
et al
. (2016) [60] in the Mono river
basin in Benin and by Mikembi
et al
. (2019) [61] in the Dzoumouna river in the
Democratic Republic of Congo.
5. Conclusion
The study on the length-weight relationship and the condition factor of
Bagrus
bajad
from Lake Albert shows that the variable
b
of the weight-length relation-
ship of this fish species displays a negative or isometric allometric growth during
the dry season in all sexes. The analysis of the condition factor shows that the
values are different between the two seasons but these values remain significant-
ly lower for females than for males. These results contribute to the knowledge of
the sustainable management and conservation of this species in Lake Albert. Fi-
sheries decision-makers are therefore recommended to regularly monitor and
control anthropogenic activities both on lake and the catchment to limit their
impacts on various habitats, fish breeding areas, and littoral and pelagic zones
for the fish species’ welfare.
Authors’ Contributions
Joseph M. Matunguru was involved in all phases of the study. These are the de-
sign of the study, the data, the tabulation, the data processing and analysis and
the writing of this manuscript; Gabriel M. Okito was involved in the study de-
sign, tabulation, data processing and analysis and writing of this manuscript.
Godfrey K. Kubiriza, Gaston T. Hamulonge and Jonas J. Uvon intervened in the
data collection, counting, processing and analysis of the data. Mbalassa Mulon-
gaibalu, Venant M. Nshombo, Peter Akoll, Godfrey K. Kubiriza, Richard Ru-
gadya, Herbert Nakiyende, Jean-Claude Micha, Gaspard Ntakimazi reviewed
and corrected the English in the manuscript.

J. M. Matunguru et al.
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10.4236/oalib.1109614 15 Open Access Library
Journal
Acknowledgements
The authors appreciate the LEAF II Project Staff (Béatrice Basezage, Nathan Ba-
simake and Odon Matungurulu) for their administrative and technical support.
We also thank the field assistants (Katho Joel and Kakura J) and the fishermen of
Lake Albert for their closer collaboration during the data collection. This manu-
script was written when the first author (Joseph Masirika Matunguru) was on
collaborative mobility training at Makerere University in Uganda, under the
COTRA project funded by European Union.
Conflicts of Interest
The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
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