Food and Feeding Biology of Commercially Important Freshwater Eel, Mastacembelus Armatus (LACEPÈDE, 1800) from the Ganga River, India

Abstract

Food and feeding biology of freshwater zig-zag eel Mastacembelus armatus (LACEPÈDE, 1800) was investigated from the Allahabad waters of the river Ganga from April 2015 to March 2016. The Stomach contents of 326 individuals of M. armatus were collected monthly from the Daraganj fish landing centre located on the bank of the river Ganga. The composition of food content was expressed as percentage of the frequency of occurrence (%Oi) and percentage of the volume (Vi). The main food items were estimated by Index of preponderance (Ii). The three major food items of M. armatus were the small sized teleosts, insects, and molluscs. The analyses of the relative gut length (RGL) revealed it carnivorous type of feeding habit. The Gastro-Somatic Index (GaSI) in the male and female ranged between 2.65 and 4.41 with a mean of 3.42 ± 0.09 and 2.84 and 3.43 with a mean value of 3.05 ± 0.03. The mean GaSI value differed significantly at 5% level of significance (F = 6.72, p = 0.01) in both the male and female indicated significant variation in the feeding habits between both the sexes. This study furnishes baseline information on the food and feeding habits of M. armatus which could be useful in formulation of the management and conservation strategies of this species in the region.