FILLETING YIELD, BODY CHARACTERISTICS AND LENGTH WEIGHT RELATIONSHIP OF FOUR FISH SPECIES FROM LOWER RIVER BENUE MAKURDI NIGERIA

Fillet yield , length-weight relationship and condition factor of four commercial fish species including: Protopterus annectens, Labeo coubie, Auchenoglanis occidentalis and Mormyrus rume from lower river Benue Makurdi Nigeria were determined. A total of 600 fish samples were used, 50 individuals regarding each species for the period of three months. Fish samples were collected and transported to the University of Agriculture Makurdi, Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture laboratory where data were recorded on: The Total weight (TW), Total length (TL), Standard length (ST), Visceral weight (VW), Head length (HL), Weight of bones (WB), Weight of fins (WF) and Weight of fillet (WF) from the four fish species. Large differences in the fillet yield were observed among the species studied. L abeo cuobie had the highest fillet percentage yield (65.51 %) while Auchenoglanis occidentalis had the lowest fillet percentage yield (56.85 %). There was a linear relationship between fish length and fillet, also, significant correlation was found between fillet yield and body measurements (weight and length).