fa عمومى General پژوهشي Research <span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="line-height:95%"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span lang="TR" new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times="">The River Benue and its associated tributaries support diverse freshwater fish assemblages that contribute substantially to inland fisheries, food security, livelihoods, and aquatic ecosystem functioning in Nigeria. However, increasing fishing pressure, habitat modification, pollution, land-use change, and hydrological alteration threaten the sustainability of these resources. This study reviewed published information on fish biodiversity reported from selected locations within the River Benue basin and examined the implications of the observed species composition for aquaculture development in Nigeria. A structured literature search was conducted using Google Scholar and Bing with combinations of keywords related to fish biodiversity, fish abundance, River Benue, River Taraba, Lower Niger River, and aquaculture. Eighteen potentially relevant publications were identified, of which four studies conducted in Adamawa, Taraba, Benue, and Kogi States were selected for detailed synthesis based on their geographic relevance and availability of species-composition information. The four studies reported substantially different levels of species richness, reflecting differences in sampling locations, sampling periods, fishing gears, and study objectives. Across the 20 most abundant taxa extracted from each study, 42 fish species representing 17 families were identified. <em>Clarias gariepinus</em> and <em>Synodontis schall</em> occurred among the most abundant taxa reported in all four study areas. Other frequently reported taxa included <em>Alestes baremoze</em>, <em>Alestes nurse</em>, <em>Schilbe mystus</em>, <em>Oreochromis niloticus</em>, <em>Tilapia zillii</em>, <em>Heterotis niloticus</em>, and <em>Citharinus citharus</em>. The recurrent occurrence of several species across geographically separated locations indicates their ecological importance within the basin, but occurrence and relative abundance alone are insufficient to establish aquaculture suitability. The review highlights <em>C. gariepinus</em>, <em>O. niloticus</em>, and selected indigenous species as priorities for further comparative studies of reproductive performance, growth, feed utilization, disease resistance, environmental tolerance, and economic feasibility. Conservation of wild populations should accompany any domestication programme to prevent depletion of natural stocks and maintain genetic diversity. Future research should employ standardized sampling protocols, molecular or voucher-based species identification, and systematic monitoring to improve knowledge of fish biodiversity in the River Benue basin.</span></span></span></span><br> &nbsp; Fish biodiversity, River Benue, Freshwater fishes, Species composition, Inland fisheries, Aquaculture, Nigeria, Conservation 103 115 http://injbir.com/browse.php?a_code=A-10-1-54&slc_lang=fa&sid=1 Ch. Obetta 1003194753284600750 1003194753284600750 Yes Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria, Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture, Abuja, Nigeria S. Kwaplong Shinnaan 1003194753284600751 1003194753284600751 No Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria, Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture, Abuja, Nigeria P. Okunola 1003194753284600752 1003194753284600752 No Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria, Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture, Abuja, Nigeria