Diversity of Cichlidae in the lower Tshopo River

The overall objective of the study of the biodiversity of the Cichlidae of the lower Tshopo River, feeding and fecundity biology of Hemichromis fasciatus, Peters, 1957 in the Kisangani area was to provide a database on the family Cichlidae and on the feeding and fecundity biology of Hemichromis fasciathus. We collected a total of 135 specimens of fishes of the family Cichlidae identified in 4 species: Hemichromis fasciatus Peters, 1857 (74.07%), Tylochromis lateralis Boulenger, 1898 (22%), Lamprologus mucquardi Pellegrin, 1903 (5.92%) and Oreochromis niloticus Linnaeus, 1758 (3.70%). The study of the weight-size relationship applied to this species is allometric (b=2.756) in favor of size. Among the specimens of Hemichromis fasciathus examined, 54 individuals are females and 46 males, that is to say a sex ratio of 0.85 males for one female. The analysis of 100 stomach contents from individuals of both sexes allowed the identification of 9 categories of food items belonging to the following groups: insects, animal and plant debris as well as earthworms