International Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Research

The Physico-chemical factors of Akor River, has been analyzed to understand its relationship with the distribution of the palaemonids Macrobrachium vollenhovenii and Macrobrachium felicinum in the water body. Water samples were collected fortnightly from all the three stations between 8.30 and 11.30hr on sampling days and the physical and chemical parameters were determined with standard equipment. Although some of the ranges showed significant differences (p<0.05), they all fell within the normal range for freshwater prawn fish production. water temperature was between (24.75 to 29.0°C), water depth (2.31 to 5.7m), pH (6.28 to 7.65), dissolved oxygen (5.10 to 7.21mg/l), conductivity (33.53 to 69.05µs/cm, total alkalinity (22.25 to 43.42mg/l), nitrate-nitrogen (0.32-1.12mg/l), phosphate-phosphorus (0.05 to 1.16mg/l), total dissolved solids (9.70 to 33.33mg/l) and hardness (18.35 to 35.85mg/l). Analysis of variance was used to test the inter-station variables for water parameters while Spearman correlation coefficient was used to evaluate the relationship between the water quality and prawn abundance which revealed that some parameters positively and negatively correlated with prawn abundance (α=0.05). The study reveals that the water quality parameters fall within the normal range which provided favourable condition for the growth and survival of prawns. In view of its economic value, commercial cultivation of Macrobrachium vollenhovenii and Macrobrachium fellicinum can be implemented in the Ikwuano regions of Akor River and recommend that fish farmers and culturists should take advantage of the aquatic environment.