TITLE:
Influence of Physico-Chemical Parameters on the Diversity of Freshwater Fish in Bamingui-Bangoran (Central African Republic)
AUTHORS:
Jean-Pierre Moalbaye, Lucie Aba-Toumnou, Emmanuel Kamba Mebourou, Narcisse Ouya, Michael Ngaraboumé, Guy Roland Mbah, Guy Magloire Kambade, Serge Florent Bolevane Ouantinam, Jocelin Ngando, Solange-Patricia Wango
KEYWORDS:
Physicochemical Parameters, Fish, Diversity, Freshwater
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Applied Sciences,
Vol.16 No.6,
June
22,
2026
ABSTRACT: Tropical freshwater ecosystems exhibit high biodiversity that is strongly influenced by physicochemical conditions. This study, conducted in the Bamingui-Bangoran watershed (Central African Republic), aimed to assess the influence of these parameters on the structure and diversity of fish communities. Eight sampling stations were investigated, where in situ measurements of temperature, pH, conductivity, dissolved oxygen, and water transparency were performed, while fish were collected using gillnets and cast nets and identified to the species level. The results revealed spatial variability in physicochemical parameters, characterized by generally neutral to slightly alkaline waters, moderate mineralization, and variable oxygen levels, as well as high turbidity in some stations. A total of 213 individuals were recorded, dominated by Mormyridae (37.56%), followed by Cichlidae and Cyprinidae. The distribution of abundances showed a strong dominance at Bamingui 3 station (52.11% of total catches), whereas Shannon diversity indices indicated higher diversity in some Bangoran stations (H’ up to 1.57). The average evenness (E ≈ 0.5) suggested a relatively balanced distribution of individuals despite taxonomic dominance in certain stations, and the low similarity between stations (