Food and Feeding Habits of Aspidoparia Morar in the River of Padma Rajshahi

Posted on 7th Oct 2024 07:40:04 PM Fisheries


INTRODUCTION
Fish is the main source of animal protein and essential nutrients in the peoples diet throughout the country. It contributes about 58% (DoF, 2011) of animal protein to our daily diet. The demand of fish has increased due to increase in population. Our per capital annual fish demand is 20.44 kg (DoF, 2011) but we are getting only 18.94 kg (DoF, 2011). This quantity is even lower among the poor people who live in rural areas. This resulted a tremendous negative impact on the health condition of the people. According to a recent nutrition survey approximately 30,000 children are becoming blind each year due to vitamin-A deficiency in this country (Thilsted et al., 1997).

Most of the small indigenous fish species have high nutritional value in terms of protein, micronutrients, vitamins and minerals. These micronutrients and minerals are not commonly available in other foods. Moreover, larger carp species are not eaten whole thus their nutritive value remains relatively low. On the other hand, small indigenous species are cooked and eaten whole with head and bones and thus provide a good of nutrients (Thilsted et al., 1997).

Production from fisheries drastically reduced due to over-exploitation, unplanned construction of embankments, destruction of breeding and nursing grounds, irrational utilization of ground and surface water bodies into crop land and habitat degradation by water pollution. Moreover, lack of knowledge on the biology especially life history strategies of inhabitant fish populations to the fishers mainly, and particularly the resource managers. Some important small indigenous species of fishes are now at the verge of extinction. All the production of many commercially and nutritionally important fish species, which drastically affect, the health and nutrition of poorer section mainly children and women in this country. Therefore, it is the high time to take appropriate measures to conserve these endangered fish species by knowing their biology, improving their habitats, and by recommending suitable management measures. Aspidoparia morar is one of the small indigenous species, which found northern west Bangla mainly caught is small quantities in the upper reaches of the river Padma and Jamuna. It is one of the most favourite and testy fish taken mostly by proper section of the rural mass. Moreover, the flesh contains a significant amount of protein, vitamin, calcium, iron, phosphorus etc. Red list of IUCN Bangladesh (2000) considered the species as data deficient. So, this species is now need to be put under cultured fishery. This is not only to protect but also to preserve the species from being extinct. 

By applying modern techniques of investigation it is possible to determine accurately the different factors responsible directly or indirectly for the production of fish in a water body. These include the type and amount of plankton, total amount of organic matter in the water, range of the water quality parameters and rate of fishes etc. Scientific fish culture depends on the proper understanding of the general ecological factors, which are directly responsible for the production of biomass in a water body. Life of the water consists of three major groups of organisms namely plankton, nekton and benthos. Among these, plankton is of fundamental importance to fisheries. Plankton is also a vital factor influencing the fish production. There are different group of plankton such as phytoplankton (Bacillariophyceae, Chlorophyceae, Cyanophyceae, Euglenophyceae) and Zooplankton (Crustacea, Rotifera). Phytoplankton is the basic of primary producers of all types of water bodies and is used as food by fish directly or indirectly.

Understanding the interspecific relationships for proper management of an ideal fishery system, food and feeding habits of fishes are the prerequisites. It varies on time of day, seasons, species, size of fish, ecological factors and different food substances present in the aquatic environment varies. As stated Hynes (1950) the composition of food in aquatic habitats varies throughout the year and each important food item tends to have maximum importance at a certain season.

To gain a thorough understanding of the food and feeding behaviours and the extent of food competition between coinhabiting fish species, evaluation of electivity index and dietary overlap are of great importance. Electivity index is made to observe the preference and avoidance for various food items. The electivity index, of which positive value indicates selection for certain food items. While negative value means avoidance. The aim of dietary studies of fishes is to understand how they live and grow, what feed may influence their growth and production and the relative abundance of the food organisms. Knowledge of food and feeding habits would thus help in the selection of species for ensuring maximum production through utilization of all available potential food in the waterbodies. Study of feeding habits also helps to take necessary steps for proper management of water to increase the production of fishes.

Extensive works have done on the food and feeding habits of fishes notably by Kamal (1967), Dewan (1973), Ghose et al. (1973), Spatrum (1977), Henderson (1978), Ali and Islam (1981), Ameen et al. (1986), Dewan et al. (1997) Rahmatullah et al. (1997) and Shafiqul (2000). But no studies have so far been reported on food and feeding of Aspidoparia morar in our country. 

Considering the above facts, the present study was undertaken to determine the pattern of food and feeding performance of Aspidoparia morar.

The proposed work was set out to address the following objectives: 

1. Determining the body length and gut length of Aspidoparia morar.

2. Estimating the types and quantity of food eaten by Aspidoparia morar. 

3. Scrutinizing the season of year and feeding of fish (Seasonal pattern of feeding).

ABSTRACT

The study focused on the food and feeding habits of Aspidoparia morar in the River Padma was conducted from June, 2011 to January, 2012 in Rajshahi, Bangladesh. Intended of this study was assessed body and gut length, types and amount of feed and seasonal pattern of feeding considering 168 specimens of Aspidopaparia morar. Establishment of the relationship between total length and alimentary canal length was done by regression method, qualitative and quantitative analyses of stomach and gut contents of each fish was done by percentage of occurrence and point method and fullness of stomach was measured by fullness index method.  The results showed that total length was positive significant (P<0.01) with alimentary canal length. Dominant feed items in gut content of Aspidoparia morar were phytoplankton including group of Chlorophyceae, Euglenophyceae, Bacillariophyceae, Cyanophyceae and zooplankton including group of Rotifera, Crustacea. So it is concluded that Aspidoparia morar was omnivorous. Based on point method the average percentage of phytoplankton was 80.71% and zooplankton 19.29%. From the present investigation the feeding intensity was highest average percentage if fullness 72.62% in September, 2011 whereas the lowest percentage was 56.55% found in month of December, 2011. The highest average percentage of emptiness was recorded 43.45% in December, 2011 and  lowest percentage was 27.38% in the month of September, 2011 and January, 2012. Suggestions were provided to take suitable management techniques to preserve the species from being extinct.

 

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CONTENTS

Acknowledgements 

Abstract 

Contents 

List of Tables

List of Figure

List of Plates

CHAPTER ONE:  INTRODUCTION

CHAPTER-TWO: REVIEW OF LITERATURE

A. Body and gut length of fishes

B. Types and amount of feed

C. Seasonal pattern of feeding

CHAPTER-THREE: MATERIALS AND METHODS

A. Choice of the species

B. Study area and period

C. External characteristics of the species

D. Collection of the species

E. Preservation of fish samples

F. Materials

G. Dissection of fish

H. Examination of the Stomach Contents

I. Data analysis

CHAPTER-FOUR: RESULTS

A. Relationship between total length (TL) and alimentary canal length (ACL)

B. Types and amount of food taken by fish

C. Seasonal Pattern of Feeding

CHAPTER FIVE: DISCUSSION

A. Body and gut length of fishes

B. Types and amount of feed

C. Seasonal pattern of feeding

CHAPTER SIX: CONCLUSION

References

 

LIST OF TABLES

1. Relation between total length and alimentary canal length (ACL) of Aspidoparia morar. The values of intercepts (a), regression co-efficient (b) and co-efficient of correlation (r) of A. morar.

2. Generic status and total points of plankton in gut contents of Aspidoparia morar

3. Composition of diet of 168 fish based on percentage of occurrence and percentage of total points

4. Monthly percentage of fullness of stomach of Aspidoparia morar

5. Monthly percentage of total fullness and emptiness of Aspidoparia morar

6. Data of the stomach content of Aspidoparia morar analysis by occurrence methods

7. Percentage of total points of different food categories by points method (N = Number of fish examined, O = Number of fish with food, P = Number of points per fish, n = Number of food category found )

 

LIST OF FIGURES

1. Showing the Map of different study areas

2. Relationship between total length and alimentary canal length of fishes (Aspidoparia morar) observed in month of June, 2011

3. Relationship between total length and alimentary canal length of fishes (Aspidoparia morar) observed in month of July, 2011

4. Relationship between total length and alimentary canal length of fishes (Aspidoparia morar) observed in month of August, 2011

5. Relationship between total length and alimentary canal length of fishes (Aspidoparia morar) observed in month of September, 2011

6. Relationship between total length and alimentary canal length of fishes (Aspidoparia morar) observed in month of October, 2011

7. Relationship between total length and alimentary canal length of fishes (Aspidoparia morar) observed in month of November, 2011

8. Relationship between total length and alimentary canal length of fishes (Aspidoparia morar) observed in month of December, 2010

9. Relationship between total length and alimentary canal length of fishes (Aspidoparia morar) observed in month of January, 2012

10. Composition of diet of 168 fish based on % of occurrence and % of total points

11. Showing percentage of fullness of Aspidoparia morar

12. Showing percentage of total percentage of fullness and emptiness of stomach of Aspidoparia morar.

13. Monthly variation in the percentage of Bacilariophyceae in the food items of Aspidoparia morar

14. Monthly variation in the percentage of Chlorophyceae in the food items of Aspidoparia morar

15.  Monthly variation in the percentage of Cyanopyceae in the food items of Aspidoparia morar

16.  Monthly variation in the percentage of Euglenophyceae in the food items of Aspidoparia morar

17. Monthly variation in the percentage of Crustacea in the food items of Aspidoparia morar

18. Monthly variation in the percentage of Rotifera in the food items of Aspidoparia morar

19. Average percentage of different types of food items observed during the experimental period in the stomach of Aspidoparia morar

 

LIST OF PLATES

1. Different size Aspidoparia morar on the basis of standard length

2. Gut of Aspidoparia morar



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