Aspects of biology of Clupeidae in the New Calabar river, Niger delta, Nigeria

The study examined the aspect of biology of the Clupeidae family in the New Calabar River, sampling was carried out with the assistance of fishermen in the landing sites. A total of 155 individuals of Clupeidae species were recovered, identified and data collected were statisitically analysed using descriptive statitics. The result showed that Sardinella maderensis was the most abundant species, accounting for 49.03% of the sampled individual followed by Ilisha africana (16.77%) and Pellonula leonensis (16.13%).Sex ratio reported a male-dominated populations for the majority of species, Pellonula leonensis with a male-to-female ratio of 2.57:1 and Sardinella maderensis having a ratio of 2.17:1. Ethmalosa fimbriata recorded an equal sex ratio 1:1.Hepatosomtic index (HIS) values varied among species, Ilisha africana recorded the highest HSI (4.00 ± 0.00). Ethmalosa fimbriata and Sardinella aurita had identical mean HSI values 3.51 ± 0.01, while Pellonula leonensis recorded the lowest HSI 2.51 ± 0.01. Therefore there is need for conservation measures during peak spawning seasons to preserve biodiversity and fishery production of Clupridae species in the New Calabar River