Morphometric measurements and growth patterns of four species of the genus Synodontis (cuvier,1816) from Lower Benue River, Makurdi, Nigeria

Abstract

Relationship between basic morphometric measurements and growth pattern of four species of Synodontis 
from Lower Benue River was investigated bi-monthly from February to October, 2009 to determine variations 
and differences in the growth pattern of the different populations. Morphometric parameters of a total number of 
195 specimens of Synodontis clarias, Synodontis membranaceus, Synodontis resupinatus and Synodontis 
schall were measured and evaluated by linear regression and correlation. There was a strong positive 
correlation between body weight and body girth, standard length and body weight, standard length and head 
length, standard length and body depth, standard length and snout length, standard length and eye diameter 
and body weight and eye diameter in S. clarias, S. membranaceus, S. resupinatus, and S. schall but the 
correlation between standard length and eye diameter and body weight and eye diameter in S. resupinatus were 
low. The growth pattern analysis depicts allometric growth in these species with their ‘b’ values less than 3.