AQUATIC RESEARCH

E-ISSN 2618-6365

Aquatic Research 8(1), 52-59 (2025) • https://doi.org/10.3153/AR25005 Research Article

Preliminary studies on the population dynamics of African

Sicklefish (Drepane africana, Osorio 1892) from the coast of
Ghana

Samuel K.K. AMPONSAH

Cite this article as:

Amponsah, S.K.K. (2025). Preliminary studies on the population dynamics of African Sicklefish (Drepane africana, Osorio 1892) from
the coast of Ghana. Aquatic Research, 8(1), 52-59. https://doi.org/10.3153/AR25005

University of Energy and Natural

ABSTRACT
Resources, Department of Fisheries and
Water Resources, Sunyani, Ghana
Individuals of African Sicklefish (Drepane africana), one of Ghana's most commercially and sig-
nificant marine fish species, are declining in abundance. Therefore, the study aimed to provide the
first estimates of growth and mortality parameters for sustainable management of the species from
the coast of Ghana. The total length (TL) of 515 individuals of African Sicklefish sampled from
ORCID IDs of the author(s):
June 2020 to July 2021 was measured and analyzed using the FISAT II software to determine the
S.K.K.A. 0000-0001-5559-3139
growth, mortality, and exploitation rates. The growth equation was Lt = 27.3 (1 - exp 1.80 (t +
0.09)). The size at first capture (Lc) and maturity (Lm) were 12.3 cm and 16.3 cm TL, respectively.
The total mortality rate (Z), natural mortality rate (M), and fishing mortality rate (F) were 7.34,
Submitted: 08.06.2024 2.73, and 4.61 per year, respectively. The exploitation rate was assessed at 0.63, indicating that the
Revision requested: 19.08.2024 stock is currently overexploited. The fishery risks collapsing if sustainable management measures
Last revision received: 19.08.2024 are not implemented since the maximum sustainable yield (Emax) slightly exceeds the current
Accepted: 19.08.2024 exploitation rate.
Published online: 14.12.2024
Keywords: Fisheries management, Growth parameters, Length at capture, Length at maturity,
Mortality parameters

Correspondence:
Samuel K.K. AMPONSAH
E-mail: [email protected]

© 2024 The Author(s)

Available online at
http://aquatres.scientificwebjournals.com

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 Aquatic Research 8(1), 52-59 (2025) • https://doi.org/10.3153/AR25005 Research Article

Introduction
Drepane africana, characterised by a compressed body struc- for the economic welfare of the communities, the livelihoods
ture, has a small head, short snout, and small mouth with of dependent households, and food security in rural fishing
fleshy lips. Its upper jaw contains thin and sharp teeth in communities of Ghana. Moreover, there is a significant lack
bands (Bauchot, 2003). The body of D. africana is coloured of studies on the population parameters of this species from
in silvery-grey, with a darker back and an almost white belly the coast of Ghana, which could lead to poor fishery manage-
(Bauchot, 2003). This fish species is a benthopelagic, com- ment, consequently reducing its resilience in the face of over-
monly found inhabiting the coastal waters of Canaries, Cape capacity of fishing efforts (Aoki et al., 2008). This study
Verde, Senegal, Angola, and Mauritania (Desoutter, 1990). aimed to investigate the growth, mortality, and biological ref-
erence points that could serve as indicators for sustainable
In Ghana, this species is mostly harvested with fishing gears management of the sampled fish species in Ghana. The infor-
such as bottom trawl nets, beach seine nets, and hook and line mation gathered from this study will also be used as a re-
(Segbefia et al., 2013). According to Edwards et al. (2003), source for future studies in Ghana since it is the first study on
the fishing season for this species spans from July to Novem- the population dynamics of this species.
ber and January to April. They are highly valued for their
flesh, which is of excellent quality and greatly contributes to Materials and Methods
the nutritional security of many fishing households (Kwei &
Ofori-Adu, 2005). Furthermore, the fishery of African Sick- Study Area
lefish contributes significantly to the economic growth of
The study was carried out in four fishing communities along
Ghana, generating approximately 1300 tonnes annually (Ed-
the coast of Ghana: Sekondi (4°55'45.74"N, 1°43'22.75"W),
wards et al., 2003).
Sakumono (5°36'40.50"N, 0°2'41.13"W), Keta
Despite their importance to the local economy and food secu- (5°53'34.41"N, 0°59'36.22"E) and Apam (5°16'59.24"N,
rity, the landings of these species have decreased over time. 0°44'9.96"W). The main livelihoods of the people in the se-
According to FAO (2019), the landings of D. africana in lected study sites include fishing and farming.
Ghana have plummeted from 6.740 tonnes in 2008 to 32
tonnes in 2019. This alarming decline has dire consequences

Figure 1. Map showing the sampling locations for the study

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 Aquatic Research 8(1), 52-59 (2025) • https://doi.org/10.3153/AR25005 Research Article

Data Collection The fishing mortality coefficient (F) was computed as F = Z–

M (Pauly, 1983).
Between June 2020 and July 2021, 515 samples of D. afri-
cana from the coast of Ghana were purchased monthly from The exploitation rate (E) was estimated as E= F/Z (Pauly,
local fishermen. Samples obtained were measured to the 1983).
nearest centimetres for total length (TL) with a wooden meas-
uring board and weighed to the nearest gram using an elec- Relative Yield Per Recruit (Y/R)' and Relative Biomass Per
tronic balance. The samples were identified to the species Recruit (B/R)'
level using identification keys (Kwei & Ofori-Adu, 2005). The data of Lc/Linf and M/K values were used to estimate
Growth Parameters exploitation at maximum yield (Emax), 10% of yield (E0.1),
and 50% of yield (E0.5).
Electronic Length Frequency Analysis (ELEFAN) option of
FiSAT II Tool, was used to estimate the growth parameters Data Analysis
following the Von Bertalanffy Growth Function (VBGF) by Length measurement data was pooled together at 5 cm inter-
Pauly (1980): TLt = TL∞ �1 − e−K(t− to ) �, vals and analysed for population parameters using FAO-
ICLARM Stock Assessment Tool (FiSAT) II software (Ga-
Lt is the average length at the time (or age), L∞ is the asymp-
yanilo et al., 1988).
totic length, K is the growth rate, and to represents the age
when the average length was zero. Results and Discussion
The longevity (Tmax) was determined as Tmax=3/K (Pauly, Length Distribution
1983).
The mean length of 515 individuals of D. africana obtained
The growth performance index was estimated as 2logL∞ + during the study was 14.5 ±0.18 cm (Figure 2). The minimum
log K (Pauly & Munro, 1984). and maximum lengths obtained were 3.90 cm and 27.0 cm,
The theoretical age at length zero (t0) was calculated as Log10 respectively.
(-t0) = -0.3922 – 0.2752 log10 L∞ —1.038 log10 K (Pauly, Growth Parameters
1979).
The calculated Von Bertalanffy growth function (VGBF) pa-
Length at First Capture rameters of D. africana were L∞= 27.3 cm, K = 1.80 year-1
The downward left portion of the length-converted catch (Figure 3), t0 = -0.09, and Ø' = 3.128, while the estimated
curve was applied to calculate the lengths at capture. These goodness of fit of model was Rn = 0.36.
include Lc25, Lc50, and Lc75, which correlate with the cumu- Mortality Parameters
lative probability at 25%, 50%, and 75%, respectively (Pauly,
1984). The total, natural and fishing mortality rates for D. africana
were Z = 7.34 year-1 (Figure 4), 2.73 year-1 and 4.61 year-1
Length at First Maturity respectively. The exploitation rate (E) was 0.63.
The length at first maturity (Lm50) was determined as Log Probability of Capture
Lm50 = 0.8979*Log10 (L∞) - 0.0782 (Froese & Binohlan,
2000). The capture probability was 11.3 cm, 12.3 cm, and 13.3 cm
at 25%, 50%, and 75%, respectively (Figure 5). Therefore,
Mortality Parameters the length at first capture was 12.3 cm. The length at first sex-
The total mortality rate (Z) was determined from the length ual maturity was estimated at 16.3 cm.
converted catch curve (LCC). The natural mortality rate (M) Yield Per Recruit Analysis
at a temperature of 28.9oC was computed using the empirical
formula by Pauly (1980): ln M = – 0.0152 - 0.279 * ln L∞ + The exploitation rates at the 10 and 50 %, and maximum lev-
0.6543 * ln k + 0.463 * ln T els were 0.567, 0.348, and 0.657, respectively (Figure 7).
where M is natural mortality in a given stock and the value of
T is the seawater's annual mean temperature (in ºC).

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Aquatic Research 8(1), 52-59 (2025) • https://doi.org/10.3153/AR25005 Research Article

Figure 2. Length distribution of D. africana from the coast of Ghana

Figure 3. Length-frequency distribution data and growth curves estimated using the ELEFAN method for D. africana

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Figure 4. Estimation of 'Z' by length converted catch curve method for D. africana

Figure 5. Probability of capture of D. africana

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Figure 7. Yield per recruit analysis of D. africana in the present study

This is the first study on the population dynamics of D. afri- existence of growth overfishing within the fishery of species.
cana from the coast of Ghana. Hence, little information exists According to Ben-Hasan et al. (2021), poor management of
for effective comparison. As such, the information gained fish species occasions the presence of small-sized individual
will serve as preliminary scientific resources for managing fish species fishes.
this species from the coast of Ghana. Growth parameters are
essential to estimate the stock size, recruitment, and mortality The length at first catch (Lc) from the current study was less
of fish population (Shojaen et al., 2007). The asymptotic than length at first maturity (Lm), suggesting that the species
length recorded from the study was lower than the estimate becomes vulnerable to capture before reaching sexual ma-
that Thiam (1988) recorded from the waters of Senegal (51.4 turity. The presence of immature small-sized individuals
cm). Nonetheless, the growth rate of 1.80 per year in the pre- from the study may be attributed to artisanal fishermen using
sent study was higher than that of Thiam (1988), who re- small mesh-sized fishing gear (Zhai et al., 2019). Further-
ported a growth rate of 0.15 per year. The variation in as- more, high fishing pressure will result in a high likelihood of
ymptotic length and growth rate reveal the presence of small- decline in spawning biomass to the point where recruitment
sized individuals of stock within the coast of Ghana than in is impaired (i.e. recruitment overfishing) when exploitation is
other regions, potentially due to the high, unsustainable fish- unsustainably high (Ben-Hasan et al., 2021).
ing pressure exerted by fishermen along the coast of Ghana From the present study, the fishing mortality rate was higher
(Amponsah et al., 2019; Arizi et al., 2022). According to Pin- than the natural mortality rate, indicating that the decline in
sky and Byler (2015), fishes with a fast growth rate are three the population of the fish species is hugely accounted for by
times more likely to experience a population collapse. This fishing-related activities (Aheto et al., 2019). Furthermore,
implies that the individuals of the sampled fish species are the fishing mortality rate from the study was higher than the
highly vulnerable to collapse, especially in absence of proper value (F = 0.73 per year) Thiam (1988) reported. This sug-
management measures. gests that the sampled fish species is experiencing high fish-
The length at first capture (Lc) from the current study was ing pressure, evinced by the significant drop in landings
lower than estimate from Thiam (1988), who reported 19.0 (FAO, 2019).
cm as the length at first capture. This comparison confirms According to Gulland (1971), an exploitation ratio (E) at 0.5
that individuals of D. africana landed along the coast of reveals a sustainable level of fishing, while a value above 0.5
Ghana are largely of a small size. This is also characterised signals that the species is in an over-exploited state. This
by the length at capture to asymptotic length ratio being lower shows that with an exploitation rate of 0.63, the species from
than 0.5 (Pauly & Soriano, 1986). This potentially reflects the

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the coast of Ghana is over-exploited. Nonetheless, the ex- Global Welfare and Environment, Memorial Book of
ploitation rate from the current study favoured the finding by the 5th World Fisheries Congress (pp. 263-276). Ter-
Thiam (1988), who documented an exploitation rate of 0.63. rapub: Tokyo, Japan.
Compared to the exploitation at maximum sustainable yield https://doi.org/10.15580/GJAS.2019.1.011719017
(Emax), the current exploitation rate (E) was slightly lower
than the Emax, a condition that may result in a reduction of
Arizi, E.K., Collie, J.S., Castro, K., Humphries, A.T.
the stock from the coast of Ghana.
(2022). Fishing characteristics and catch composition of
Conclusion the sardinella fishery in Ghana indicate urgent manage-
ment is needed. Regional Studies in Marine Science, 52,
The current study sheds light on the population dynamics of
102348.
the D. africana from the coast of Ghana. According to the
study, D. africana exhibited signs of fast growth, with indi-
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rsma.2022.102348
viduals becoming susceptible to capture before they reach
maturity. The stock was overexploited and marginally below Bauchot, M.L. (2003). Drepanidae. p. 514-515. In D.
the maximum exploitation rate, placing it at risk of future de- Paugy, C. Lévêque and G.G Teugels (eds.) the fresh and
pletion. Revision of mesh size regulation and lowering fish- brackish water fishes of West Africa Volume 2. Coll.
ing capacity are some of the measures needed to protect the faune ET flore tropicales 40. Institut de recherche de dé-
resources from further depletion. veloppement, Paris, France, Muséum national d'histoire
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Central, Tervuren, Belgium, 815p.
Compliance with Ethical Standards
Conflict of interest: The author(s) declare no actual, potential, or Ben‐Hasan, A., Walters, C., Hordyk, A., Christen-
perceived conflict of interest for this article. sen, V., Al‐Husaini, M. (2021). Alleviating growth and
Ethics committee approval: Not applicable recruitment overfishing through simple management
Data availability: Data will be made available on request. changes: insights from an overexploited long‐lived
Funding disclosure: No funding provided. fish. Marine and Coastal Fisheries, 13(2), 87-98.
Acknowledgements: Sincere gratitude goes to the fisher-folks https://doi.org/10.1002/mcf2.10140
along the coast of Ghana who assisted immensely during the fi-
eldwork. Desoutter, M. (1990). Ephippidae. p. 834-836. In J.C.
Disclosure: -
Quero, J.C. Hureau, C. Karrer, A. Post and L. Saldanha
(eds.) Check-list of the fishes of the eastern tropical At-
lantic (CLOFETA). JNICT, Lisbon; SEI, Paris; and
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