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Food and feeding habits of the spotted herring, Herklotsichthys punctatus (Ruppell) From the Andaman sea

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Relation http://eprints.cmfri.org.in/1573/
 
Title Food and feeding habits of the spotted herring,
Herklotsichthys punctatus (Ruppell)
From the Andaman sea
 
Creator Marichamy, R
 
Subject Demersal Fishes
 
Description Herklotsichthys punctatus (Ruppell) which contributes a. significant percentage to
the clupeid catches in the Andaman Islands is a carnivorous surface plankton feeder, its
diet being composed entirely of zooplankton. Copepods, especially Pseudodiaptomus spp.,
form the main item of its diet. The euphausiid Pseudeuphausia sp. and megalopa occupy the
second and third places in its diet. Other copepods like species of Pontella, Temora,
Calanus, Tortanus, Euterpina, Corycaeus, Anamalocera, Sapphirina, Epilabidocera and
Microsetelia contribate, a minor percentage to the diet. Larvae of Penaeus%-p., mysid,
Lucifer and fish, and the pteropod Cavolina and the heteropod Atlanta were also found to
form the food. Generally intense feeding activity was noticed during June to September
corresponding to the south-west monsoon period. The feeding intensity was also found
to be generally higher during the early hours of the day than during the afternoon hours.
Fish in the size group 65-90 nun (total length) feed mainly on small organisms like copepods.
As the fish grow there is a change in the feeding habit, fishes of larger size (120-140
mm) feeding on larger organisms like euphausiids, megalopa and pteropods. Mature fish
occurring in the commercial catches exhibit a high feeding intensity during April and
August-September and this coincides with the pre-spawning period of the fish.
 
Publisher CMFRI/ICAR
 
Date 1970
 
Type Article
PeerReviewed
 
Format application/pdf
 
Language en
 
Identifier http://eprints.cmfri.org.in/1573/1/Article_19.pdf
Marichamy, R (1970) Food and feeding habits of the spotted herring, Herklotsichthys punctatus (Ruppell) From the Andaman sea. Indian Journal of Fisheries, 17 (1&2). pp. 159-168.