Author(s)

Joseph M. Matunguru^1,2,3,4*, Gabriel M. Okito^1,2,5, Jonas J. Uvon^5,6, Gaston T. Hamulonge⁷, Richard Rugadya^7,8, Herbert Nakiyende^3,9, Godfrey K. Kubiriza³, Peter Akoll³, Mbalassa Mulongaibalu⁵, Alex Lina⁵, Venant M. Nshombo^5,10, 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.

This study provides information on the length-weight relationship and condition factor of Bagrus bayad, a fish species from Lake Albert. These variables were analysed from 520 samples collected from Lake Albert (DR Congo) between 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 correlation between length and weight, of B. bayad (i.e., LnTW = 2.72LnTL - 1.88; R2 = 0.875) and for females (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 coefficient r2 = 0.837. B. bayad exhibited negative allometric growth pattern. The 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.

Length-Weight Relationship, Condition Factor, Growth Pattern, B. bayad, Lake Albert

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 Journal, 10, 1-19. doi: 10.4236/oalib.1109614.