Comparative Assessment of Proximate Composition of Silver Catfish (Chrysichthys nigrodigitatus) and Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) from Okrika Fish Landing Site, Bonny River, Port Harcourt

Abstract

Comparative assessment of the proximate composition of the silver catfish (Chrysichtys nigrodigitatus) and Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) was carried out. Fish samples were purchased from the Okrika fish landing site of Bonny river, Port Harcourt through the help of the fish mongers within three months, identified with the aid of keys and preserved in domestic deep freezers for further analysis. Samples were prepared and analysed for proximate composition using standard methods of APHA. The result showed that the moisture, crude protein and carbohydrate contents of C. nigrodigitatus ranged from 61.32-65.25%, 16.10-18.09% and 10.24- 11.30% with the mean values of 63.61±2.037%, 17.52±1.06% and 10.65±0.07% while that of O. niloticus ranged from 74.06-76.16%,12.15-2.44% and 5.96 - 6.55% with the mean values of 75.19±1.05%,12.94±0.72% and 6.17±0.32%. The moisture content of O. niloticus was significantly higher than that of C. nigrodigitatus but the crude protein and carbohydrate contents of C. nigrodigitatus were significantly higher than that of the O. niloticus at probability level of P<0.05. The proximate composition of the two fish species varied across the months with the highest values of moisture, fat, crude fibre and carbohydrates in both species observed in the Month of June. The results showed that the two species of fish studied have good supply of fish nutrients and should be consumed by people.

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