Nutritive Value of Ethmalosa fimbraita (Clupeidae), Mugil cephalus, (Mugilidae) and Cynoglosuss senegalensis (Cynoglossidae) of the Cross River Estuary, Nigeria, West Africa

The nutritive value and the content of some minerals were investigated in three commercially important marine fish species of the Cross River estuary, Nigeria. The fishes studied using standard procedures as recommended by AOAC were Ethmalosa fimbraita, Mugil cephalus and Cynoglosuss senegalensis. The protein, carbohydrate, fat and moisture contents were 18.50%, 9.63%, 8.70% and 66.50% in E. fimbraita while these results in M. cephalus were 19.75%, 11.75%, 8.60% and 63.66% respectively. Data obtained for C. senegalensis were 19.76% for protein, 9.22% as carbohydrate, 9.02% for fat and 65.02% for moisture. Trace elements, e.g. iron and manganese were high in concentration in these species than the major elements. The concentration of most of the studied elements were significantly similar in the species except Copper (Cu super( 2+)), which was more concentrated in C. senegalensis than in the other two species. The ash content was higher in C. senegalensis and M. cephalus (p>0.05) while that in E. fimbraita was significantly lower in concentration (p>0.05). These probably underscore the importance of the other two species being richer sources of minerals than E. fimbraita in the Cross river estuary.