Comparative study of the growth parameters of Lates niloticus (Linnaeus, 1758) from the lake of Tiné (North, Bandama basin, Ivory Coast) and the fishing area of Guéssabo (West, Sassandra river, Ivory Coast)

The present study was carried out between January 2021 and February 2022 on 30 specimens of Lates niloticus from the lake of Tiné, located in the Bandama watershed, and from the Guéssabo fishing area, in the Sassandra watershed. This study, initiated by the Continental Fisheries and Aquaculture program of the National Center for Agronomic Research (CNRA-PAC) of Bouaké, is part of the genetic improvement of L. niloticus, a species of great economic and food importance in Ivory Coast. This study aims to identify a successful population of L. niloticus, to be promoted in our farms. It uses the comparison of the growth parameters of this species, from the two catchment areas of Bandama and Sassandra. Experimental fisheries were carried out using gillnets, traps and hawks. At each site, the individuals were grouped in plastic containers and then transported to the laboratory of the National Center for measurements and weight gain. The distributions of size frequencies show that L. niloticus originating from the Guéssabo region have larger sizes than those coming from lake of Tiné. On the other hand, the analysis of condition factors reveals that the living conditions of L. niloticus in the lake of Tine are better than those of the Guéssabo region. Moreover, this species grows more in size than in weight (allometric type growth), over both watersheds. In addition, the sex ratio indicates a preponderance of female individuals in the lake of Tiné than in the Guéssabo area, dominated by males.