Ichthyofauna diversity study of the Oueme river in Benin West Africa Etude de la diversite ichtyologique du bassin du fleuve Oueme au Benin Afrique de louest
Laleye, P.; Chikou, A.; Philippart, J.; Teugels, G.; Vandewalle, P.
Cybium 31 decembre; 284: 329-339
2004
ISSN/ISBN: 0399-0974 Document Number: 271770
A study of the ichthyofauna of Oueme river basin carried out from 1998 to 2001 permitted to inventory 122 species of fish distributed in 87 genera belonging to 50 families. The mormyrids are the most numerous with 12 species. Following by the cichlids, characids, cyprinids and gobiids with respectively 10, 8, 7 and 6 species. The clariids, aplocheilids and eleotrids are represented each with 5 species. Thirty species belonging to 20 families are typically marines or estuarines. Twenty four species (belonging to 17 families) are added to the fish list known up to now for the river. Fish richness is unequally distributed along the river. The lower course of the basin, represented by Agonlin Lowe and Toue, is by far the richest (Agonlin Lowe, 71 species, = 59.2% of the total ichthyofauna; Toue, 67 species, = 55.8% ichtyofauna). This zone concerns a vast floodplain whose ecological characteristics favour this important colonization by fish. The stations upstream and on the central course of the river, represented by Kpassa and Atchakpa, have the lowest number of species (47 and 46 species respectively).