Record Details

Food and feeding habits of the African catfish Clarias gariepinus (Burchell, 1822) (Pisces: Clariidae) in the newly built Ribb Reservoir, north-west Ethiopia

Indian Agricultural Research Journals

View Archive Info
 
 
Field Value
 
Title Food and feeding habits of the African catfish Clarias gariepinus (Burchell, 1822) (Pisces: Clariidae) in the newly built Ribb Reservoir, north-west Ethiopia
 
Creator Amare Dessie
Minwyelet Mingist
Dagnew Mequanent
Degsera Aemro
 
Subject Diet composition
Dietary shift
Ribb Reservoir
Volumetric contribution
 
Description The feeding habits of the African catfish Clarias gariepinus (Burchell, 1822) were studied in the newly constructed Ribb Reservoir in Ethiopia during the dry season (January-March) and wet season (June-August) of 2021. Out of 295 fish samples collected, 202 (68.4%) contained food in the gut. Zooplankton (24.4%), detritus (22.8%), macrophytes (16.2%), phytoplankton (14.8%) and insects (11.8%) were the main diets of C. gariepinus. Zooplankton (46.2%) and phytoplankton (31.1%) were predominant in the diet during the dry season, but during the wet season, detritus (42%), macrophytes (29.7%) and insects (29.5%) were the predominant food items. The frequency of occurrence and the volumetric contribution of diet items varied significantly (p<0.05) between seasons. Schoener’s Diet Overlap Index showed a slight ontogenetic shift in the diet of C. gariepinus between different size classes. Insects and nematodes were the main diets of smaller-size classes, while plankton, detritus and macrophytes were dominant in the higher-size classes. In general, C. gariepinus feeds on both plant and animal food and is considered omnivorous in the reservoir.
Keywords: Diet composition, Dietary shift, Ribb Reservoir, Volumetric contribution
 
Publisher Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (on behalf of Indian Council of Agricultural
 
Date 2024-06-30
 
Type info:eu-repo/semantics/article
info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
Peer-reviewed Article
 
Format application/pdf
 
Identifier https://epubs.icar.org.in/index.php/IJF/article/view/134268
10.21077/ijf.2024.71.2.134268-05
 
Source Indian Journal of Fisheries; Vol. 71 No. 2 (2024)
0970-6011
 
Language eng
 
Relation https://epubs.icar.org.in/index.php/IJF/article/view/134268/54942
 
Rights Copyright (c) 2024 Indian Journal of Fisheries