Ecosystem and fish commercializing in a rich-minerals, low-salinity and semi-arid closed lake

Abstract

This study aimed at representing some biological and chemical features of Bieda lake and discussing its fisheries opportunities. The water is well-oxygenated, rich with different nutrient salts. sodium and chloride values were lower than the equivalent surface seawater. The lake characterized by species richness of phytoplankton and zooplankton. Currently, two euryhaline cichlid species, Oreochromis aureus and Coptodon zillii, inhabited the lake. Their condition factors were 1.82 and 2.03, respectively. C. zillii was very low with slight mortality during summer. The high density and high nutritional plankton communities and the dense microphytobenthic diatoms film covered the lake sediment revealed that fishes inhabiting the lake is under their carrying capacity and introducing mullet’s species is very important. The well-oxygenated water, high plankton density, diatoms biofilms, and expected salinity change evidenced that translocation and culturing of the commercially M. cephalus or C. ramada in El Bieda Lake is very advised.