~. VARATONS N FSH CAPTURABLTY WTH A GLLNET GANG Oral communication presented by V. Bénech ntroduction. We have used a gillnet gang for sampling fish communities in lake Chad Basin. Gillnets are a very useful fishing gear in inland waters because they can be set in a lot of very different conditions (lake, rivers, pond etc.). But they have also several disadvantages. Because they are a passive gear, the catches depend essentially on fish behaviour. This is the origin of important inter and intraspecific variations in fish capturability. To evaluate these variations in fish capturabil ity, we conducted an investigation into multispecies sampling in an oxbow pond. After 30 nights fishing with gillnets, the residual fish stock was found by exhaustive fishing operations such as trawling, seining and finally by poisoning with rotenone. Thus, the initial stock of each species was found and this permitted the evaluation of capt,urability by the following ratio : Capturability = Number of catches / nitial number of fishes in the pond just before the fishing operation Pond and experimental design ' The pond of Nangoto is an oxbow pond filled each year by the Shari river during its flooding period. t is.poo m long, m wide and 1.8 m deep. The fish community we studied was composed of thirty four species of mainly juveniles, for this reason we only used small meshes : 10 to 30 mm meshbar. Each net was.2 m long and 2.8 m high with a hanging coefficient of 0x. The gillnets hung from the water surface to the bottom of the pond and were set in the same manner for the 30 successive nights fishing. They were put out at p.m. and taken in at 6 a.m. n the context of this experimentation on fish capturability with a constant fishing strategy (called "efficiency") it would be more precise to speak.about fish "vulnerability" which is a component of capturabi 1 i ty. _. capturabi 1 i ty interactions except fisherman skilfulness) efficiency (fishing strategy) accessi bi 1 i ty (presence on fishing grounds) vu1 nerabi 1 i ty ( avoi dance and escaping possibilities) i _ c 2 Fith Congress of Europeap 1 chthyologists, Stockholm 16 August 8 page no 1
Resui ts : First we will present the interspecific variation in fish capturability after the total catches during the 30 nights. Then we will present the different patterns for daily capturability during the fishing period. * Total catches from the gillnet gang for the 30 nights fishing period This is a table of species ordered following decreasing capturability which is represented by the histograms. Capturability is expressed as the percentage of the catches (C) during the 30 nights fishing period versus the initial number of fishes in the pond (N). You can see that total catches range from less than 1% of. the Tilapia stock to more than 70% for the ichthyophagous stocks of Lates or chthyborus. Generally the ichthyophagous species indicated with a star on this table are the most vulnerable species to the gillnet gang whatever their diel rythm or ecology. The hanging coefficient (0%) is more adapted to slender. species than to species laterally compressed like Citharinus or Tilapia. Effectively these last species and especially Tilapia are not very vulnerable to gillnets. However, in nonpredatory species with similar slender morphology, there may be a large range in capturability as you can see in comparing Al estes nurse and Al estes den tex. Within the genus Synodontis, the capturability varies within a range 3.8 to 9.% without a clear relationship to the species behaviour that is to say benthic or pelagic behaviour or to the diel : activity. t The two Synodontis species situated at the bottom of the table have a capturability half of their pelagic or benthic homologous spe. cies situated higher in the table. Fishing essentially during the night period with a passive gear whose catches depends on fish activity led us to expect a straightforward difference between day and night species. t is not clear cut. Except the ichthyophagous species which are mainly crepusclar or nocturnal, the diurnal or nocturnal non ichthyophagous species respectively yellow and blue coloured in the table spread along all the same range of capturability. n the case of Synodontis, inspite of a more nocturnal behaviour H. membranaceus presented a weaker capturability than Brachysynodontis batensoda which is crepuscular. We have just seen that the predatory regime is a major characteristic in the degree of capturability in the different species of the fish community. t is evident that gillnetted fishes attract predators 1 ; conversely the preying action of predators might encourage the cap i ture of prey species. n our experimentation the elimination of a high proportion of ichthyophagous predators (0% within 8 days in chthybor'us) might // Fi th Congress of European chthyologists, Stockholm 16 August 8 page no 2. t i
d induce an important reduction in the preying effort. The prey species becoming less disturbed might become more careful to avoid gillnets. Species relationships certainly play a major role in their capturability with gil4nets. And the probability of catching species X in a fish communitj might not be necesserily the same as in the case of another fish community with a different species composi tion. We will see now the different patterns of daily capturability during the 30 nights fishing period. Unfortunately the effect of the change in the community structure cannot be dissociated from the fishes experience of avoiding gillnets. * Patterns of daily capturadi l'i ty ' The fishes experience for gillnet avoidance is certainly influential in such an experiment in a confined area submitted to a constant and relatively intensive fishing effort during 30 successive nights.. 8.,,. n predatory species the capturability is very high on the first night (more than 10%). Then chronologically two different patterns emerge : n Lates, the capturability remained relatively constant from the second night onward. The capturability decreas'ed both in chthyborus and Schilbe but more straightforwardly i? Schilbe (from 10% to lessthan 1% within,.sdays). n nonpredatoy species which were less vulnerable to gillnets, the evolution of capturability has no straightforward tendency There is a decrease in Alestes nurse and Alestes baremoze during the, first nights. but in Citharinus citharus and Synodontis schall there is no tendency of decreasing capturability and there is especially an 'absence of ' 1' higher capturability in the first night. n Labeo senegalensis there are two peaks which are associated with a half lunar period. n other sampling programs we have noted that c. 'senegalensis is a species whose activity is related to moon phases. Finally we note the original case of Brachysynodontis batensoda with its slight tendency for increasing capturabil i ty. /. Fith Congress of European chthyologists, Stockholm 16 August 8 page no 3 b. : li
~ 4 Conclusion n conclusion we emphasize the magnitude of variation in fish capturabil i ty with a gi 11 net gang. The inteispecific variation could lead to large biases.in estimation of community structure with an overestimation of predators. At the intraspecific level, with the change in community structure and/or development of fish experience, the induced variation of capturability could lead to non comparable CPUE in space or time. We note too the inadequate method of De Lury when using gillnets. Finally, it is interesting to note that fish capturability with gillnets olriginates in factors of different nature and level of integration, whose interaction gives rise to an overall very complex picture. Fish capturability depends on fish morphology which is an individual and mechanistic aspect. t depends on behaviour integrated in life history and at the populational level. And lastly it depends on interactions of different species integrated behaviour in the community structure. BENECH Vincent and VDY Guy ORSTOM, 24 rue Bayard, 7008 Paris France NTER AND NTRASPECFC VARATONS N FSH CAPTURABLTY WTH A GLLNET GANG An investigation about multispecies sampling with a gillnet gang was conducted in a tropical oxbow pond (Chari River, Chad) populated mainly with juveniles. After 30 nights fishing with gillnets (10 to 30 mm meshbar), the pond was poisoned to evaluatetotal stock of each species. Total catches by gilln'ets ranged from 1% of the "Tilapia" stock to more than 70% of the ichthyophagous stocks (Lates, chthyborus). The Synodontis catch varied within a range from 3.8% to 9.% without a clear relation to the species behaviour (i.e. benthic, pelagic) or to diel activity. There were five patterns for daily capturability during the fishing period : a) rapidly decreasing within 10 days, b) stable, c) slowly increasing, d) changes without any apparent trends and e) peacks coi nci ding with moon phases. Rapidly decreasing capturability (a) could depend on fish experience to avoid gillnets. The difference between patterns might originate in species interaction, which in turn implies a relationship between species capturability and the fish community structure. Fith Congress of European chthyologists, Stockholm 16 August 8 page no 4.
c z SPECES C N C / N ~ (in %) *Lates nílot'icus 3 643 86.0 *chthyborus besse 677 948 71.4 "Gymnarchus niloticus 9.6 *Polypterus endlicheri 36 70 1.4 "Polypterus,bichir *Schi 1 be mystus 20 496 41.7 i 41.3 0 *Hydrocynus forskalii 24. 82 29.3 Petrocephal us spp. 107. 367 29.0 *Mal apterurus electricus 6 27.3 Di s t i chodus ros tra tus 89 362 24.6 "Polypterus senega1 us 86 380.6. *Bag rus bay ad 247.3 Labeo coubie Synodontis eupterus. ' 90 298 21.1 18. Labeo senegalensis 87 311 16.1 Alestes nurse 311 2680 11.6 *C1 ari as, spp. Synodontis schall 3 '486 10.9 *Hydrocynus brevis 2 9.0 Marcusenius spp_ 46 7 8. O Heterobranchus spp. 2 27 "'.7.4 Brach sy sy n o don t i s bat en sod a 1 2161 7.2 Alestes macrolepidotus 33 6.6 Synod on ti s c 1 ar i as 13 8.7 Auchenogl ani s spp. 18 334 :4 Chrysichthys auratus 9 174 213 4 9. '.2. Hyperopi sus bebe. 96.2 Citharinus spp. 34 136 4.8 C Synodonti s nigri ta 13 366 4. Alestes baremoze 79 16721 4. 1 Mormyrus rume 131 3.8 Hemisynodontis membranaceus 78 2041 3.8 _ Alestes dentex 43 3047 ' 1.4 Tilapia spp. 279 0.4 Variations in fish capturability with the gillnet gang after the catches during a 30 night fishing period. 8 c.hchyo~h~go~i S P ~ ~ C S 1 ' 3 i / Fith Congress of European chthyologists, Stockholm 16 August 8 page no
GLLN ET.. 'CHARACTERSTCS \ HANGNG COEFFCENT, '2m. h. b Meshbar 13400 m/kg 10 11 13 14 mm. 8 Twine 10000 m/kg i 1 16 '18,20 mm 6660 m/kg 2 30 mm 43% 9.:.a i *'> t il) r
nterspecific variation in.fish capturability. 'SPECES C N *Lates niloticus *chthyborus'desse *Gymnarchus niloticus *Polypterus endlicheri *Polypterus bichir Y *Schilbe mystus *Hydrocynus forskal i i Petrocephalus spp. *Malapterurus electricus Distichodus rostratus *Polypterus senegalus *6agrus bayad Labeo coubie Synodontis eupterus. Labeo senegalensis Alestes.nurse *Clarias spp. Synodontis schall *Hydrocynus brevis Marcusenius spp. Heterobranchus spp. Erachsysynodontis batensoda Al estes macro1 epi dotus Synodontis clarias Auchenoglanis spp. Chrysichthys auratus Hyperopisus bebe Ci thari nus spp. Synodontis nigrita. Alestes baremoze ' Mormyrus rume Hemisynodontis membranaceus. Alestes dentex P Tilapia spp. 3 677 36 20 24 107 6 a9 ' 86 87 311 3 213 46 2 1 13 ia ' 9,. 34 13 79 76 43 643 948 9 70 496 a2 367 362 380 247 90 298 311 2680 486 4 2 7 27 2161 33 8 334 174 96 7136,3366 16721.31 2041 3047 279. _ LATES (chthyophagous) 0: '. c : Catches with the gillnet gang during the 30 nights fishing perlod 'V nitial number of fishes in the pond. TLAPA (Non chthyophagous)
lntesspecific variation in fisk capfurability. ' 'SPECES *Lates niloti,crls * c h t h y b or u s 'be s se *Gymarchus niloticus *Polypterus endlicheri *Polyp ter us bi c h i r "Schilbe mystus : *Hydrocynus forskal i i Petrocephal us spp. *Malapterurus electricus Disti chodus rostratus *Polypterus senega1 us *Bagrus bayad Labeo coabie Synodontis eupterus Labeo senegalensis Al estes nurse *C1 ari as spp. Synodontis schall "Hydrocynus brevis. Marcusenius spp. Heterobranchus spp. Brachsysynodontis batensoda Alestes macrolepidotus Synodontis clarias Auchenogl ani s spa,. Chrysichthys auratus Hyperbpisus bebe Cítharinus spp. Synodontis nigrita Alestes baremoze Mormyrus rume Hemisynodontis membranaceus Alestes dentex Tilapia spp. C 3 677 36 20 24 107 6 89 86 87 311 3 213 46 2 1 13 18 9 34 13 79 78 43 N 643 948 9 70 496 82 367 362 380 247 90 2 98 31 1 2680 486 4 2 7 27 2161 33 8 334 174 96 7136.3366 16721.131 2041 3047 279 C / N CAPTURABLTY (in %) 0 io 0 29. O $27.3 24.6 Q.6 e.3 21.1 18. 16.1 11.6 $10.9 9. gj 9.0 8.0 7.4 7.2 6.6.7.4.2.2 4.8 4. 4. 3.8. 1C j+ CHTHYOPHAGOUS SPECES J. ' b c.
n t er spec if i c vari at i on infis h capturability ' 'SPECES C N :/ N CAPTURABLTY (in %) o 10 1 ' 3 100% *Lates niloticus, *chthyborus 'bese *Gymnarchus niloticus *Polypterus end1 icheri *Polypterus bichir *Schi1 be mystus *Hydrocynus forskal i Petrocephalus spp. *Malapterurus electricus Distichodus rostratus' *Polypterus senega1 us *Bagrus bayad Labeo coubie Synodontis eupterus Labeo senegalensis Alestes nurse *C1 ari as spp. Synodontis schall "Hydrocynus brevis ~ Marcusenius spp. Heterobranchus spp. Brachsysynodontis batensoda Alestes macrolepidotus Synodonti s cl ari as Auchensglanis 'spp. Chrys i cht hys auratus Hyper op i sus be be Ci thari nus spp. Synodontis nigrita Alestesa baremoze Mormyrus rume Hemisynodontis membranaceus Alestes dentex Tilapia spp.! 3 677 36 20 24 107 6,89 86 87 311 3 213 46 2 1 13 18 9 34 13 79 78 43 643 948.9 70 496 82 367 362 380 247 90. 2 98 31 1 2680 '486 4 2 7 27 2161 33 8 334 174 96 7136,3366 16721 '131 2041 3047 279 S Mi LAR MORPHOLOGY n
llnterspecific variation in fish capturabili'ry.. 'S PE C ES C N : N CAPTURABLTY. (in %) 0 O 0 100% *Lates niloticus *chthyborus 'Desse "Gymnarc hus 11i 1 ot i cus *Polypterus endlicheri *Polypterus bichir *Schi1 be mystus *Hydrocynus forskalii Petrocephal us spp. *Malapterurus electricus Distichodus rostratus *Polypterus senega1 U.S. *Bag rus bayad Labeo coubie Synodontj s eupterus ' Labeo senegalensis. Alestes nurse. 3 677 36. 20 24 107.6 89 86 8 7 31 1 643 948 9 70 496 82 367 362 380 24 7 90 2 98 31 1 2680 Marcuseni us spp. Heterobranchus spp. Brachsysynodontis batensoda Alestes macrolepidotus Synodonti s clari as Auchenogl ani s spp. Chrysichthys auratus...hypeyopisus bebe 46 '2 1 13 '18,.g 7 27 2161 33 8 334 174,.9.6, 8.0 7.4 El P EL.A GC. Alestes baremoze Mormyrus rume. Hemisynodontis membranaceus Alestes dentex Tilapia spp... 78 43 '131 2041 3047 279 3.8 PELAGC._ 1.4 1% COMPARSON OF THE SYNODONTS
nterspecific variation in fish capfurability... 'SPECES C N 2 2 / N CAPTURABlLtTY (in X) O 10 F 1 100% *Lates niloticus klchthyborus besse "Gymnarchus niloticus *Po)xjpterus end1 icheri *Pol'$p terus bi chi r *Schi 1 be' mvstds ' c,;,p: *Hydrocynu; ' +. etroceph'a,i'u~'~~~~pp forskal +$.:f i i. c '1 'J".+.*x,:":>=&,;>i.*&.x&.>: g,.. *Mhlapterurus electricus $ Distichodus rostratus *Polypterus senegal us *Bagrus bayad,. tabeo coubie Synodonti s eupterus Labeo senegalensis & Alestes nurse \ Brachsysynodontis: batensoda Alestes.macrolepidotus. Synodon tis 'c 1 ari as Auchenogl anis spp. *.. Synodontis nigrita. kí. Tilapia spp / \ 3 677,36 " 20 24 107 6 89 86 87 311 3 213 46 2 1 13 18 9 34 13 79 78 43 643 948 9 70 496 82 367.' 362 380 247 90 298 311 2680 '486 4 2 7 27 2 61 33 8 334 174.96 7136.3.36 6 16721 "131 2041 3047 279 18. i6. i 1 O10. 1 Y 1%. 3{pl ' DURNAL Pelagic Synodontis c13 NOCTURNAL
e t.'..\._~ Elimination' od ichthyophag.ous.species. C _.._ c _,.,... 2.,.. j r. i, ', i'.' '.,, ~. : 100 % No 0. 0.., <.:.,.,.. :,._ i ': ' '. :. '. 7 T..J c, ;e O 1, 100,,., i. : L::., ',. C. q 2s i. i.,.. ; L.r,.. CHTHYB~RU.S L. i,.besse. ': O /o No l, O. J 1 10. ' 2o Nights Fishing r 30
.,. _..,:. ',.\ '..,. :.'.... a.. ". '. ' 2,,,. "._.... Patterns of daily. capturabiiity. %No,100 0. i. SCHlFE MYSTUS (N=496) ".<.A.& %No 100 0 1 10 20. 9, + 0. 30. ;.:;i,.
CHTHYOPHAGOUS SPECES %NO 100 ' Dally Capturablllty 0 SYNOWNTS SCHALL N4) %NÔ 100 0 0 O Nights Flshlng O ALESTES BAREMOZE cn167211 Ck 0.4. Q3. 02. ' BRACHYSYNODONTS BATENSODA :N2161> 0.,. i.0 al. OJ 1 10. 20 30 O 1 10 20 30 i '. ClTRARlNUS ClTt!ARUS cn6743). %No ' toa SN0 100..,.. *,,' _, /. 0 0 t,,. 10 20 30 E O