Relationship between the size of fish of the genus Chrysichthys (Bleeker, 1858) and the diameter of bamboo traps in the Aghien lagoon (Côte d’Ivoire)

In the natural environment, fish of the genus Chrysichthys are known to reproduce in crevices.This explains why bamboo traps are so effective at capturing breeding pairs.The present study was initiated to exploit the natural preference of these fish for bamboo traps.Fish were captured during the period August to September 2017 using 130 bamboo traps ranging in length from 1.20 to 1.30 m.These devices are attached to bamboo pillars previously fixed to the bottom or to the roots of mangroves.After 14 days, the bamboo traps are visited.Using this technique, 222 Chrysichthys specimens were collected.A correlation test showed that there was no link (p-value > 0.05) between the standard length of these fish and the diameter of the bamboo traps used to catch them.Bamboo traps with diameters between [50-60 mm] had the highest capture rate (69.40%), while the lowest capture rate (7.20%) was achieved with bamboo traps with diameters between [45-50 mm].Pairs composed of Chrysichthys nigrodigitatus and Chrysichthys maurus were observed in certain bamboo traps, suggesting the possibility of hybridisation between these two species.