Differences in the food and feeding adaptations between juveniles and adults of the Indian oil sardine, Sardinella longiceps Valenciennes

Abstract

The food and feeding habits of Sardinella longiceps, economically the most valuable clupeiform fish from Indian waters, had been the subject of study for the past five decades (Hornell, 1910; Homell and Nayudu, 1924; Devanesan, 1943; Chidarbaram, 1950; Nair, 1963; Nair and Subrahmanyan, 1955; Venkataraman, 1960; Dhulkhed, 1962). Although a general idea of the elements on which the oil sardine subsists is worked out, data published on the food-habits of the different stages in its life-span is scanty and doubtful. Chidambaram (1950) opines that the food of young and adult sardines does not differ much. Reference that "immature adults and spawners" feed "mostly on phytoplankton" and "very young sardines" feed mainly on copepods has been made by Nair (1953). Comprehensive study of the differences in the food and feeding habits has not been made by previous workers. Hence the present report on the differences observed in the food and feeding adaptations between juveniles and adults of S. longiceps while studying its biology at Cannanore (south-west coast of India) may be of interest.