Food and feeding habits of the streaked seer, Scomberomorus lineolatus (Cuvier and Valenciennes), in the Gulf of Mannar and Palk Bay

Abstract

Adult streaked seer feeds almost exclusively on smaller pelagics of which sardine$ are the most important, while the juveniles of c 200 mm length feed predominantly on the whitebaits and sometimes on the sciaenids and Saurida. The total food spectrum is limited to only about five food items. This speciea is intermediate between the kingseer and the spotted seer in its predatory habits, but like the latter, does not chase baits fast enough to be caught in trolls. The stock of streaked seer, however is much less than that of either of the other two species in the study areas. Feeding is active around 7 p.m. and between about 5 and 9 a.m. Competition between fish -Z 800 mm length and fish > 800 mm length was obvious in 19869 when there was a shortfall in forage abundance. Food intake and utilisation do not show definite evidence of the prevalence of spawning stress. The K-line shows that food intake maintaim the streaked seer within the normal biokinetic range as the spotted seer and the kingseer, but the T-line suggesb low levels of metabolic expenditure per unit time and also condition of stress.