The food of some young fishes from Bombay

Abstract

In the present investigation extending over a period of two years from June 1945 to June 1947, the stomach contents of 2,188 young fishes belonging to 21 species were examined for determining their food and feeding habits. 1. The young forms of almost all the species are surface plankton feeders, and are carnivorous, exceptScatophagus argus which feeds mainly on algae. 2. Planktonic prawn larvae mostly belonging to the genusAcetes formed the main food of the young forms of a number of species mentioned above, whereas the grown-up ones seem to prefer mostly fish diet consisting of Bregmaceros macclellandi, Engraulis commersonianus, Otolithus argentens, Clupeids, etc. 3. Equula insidiatrix andE. ruconius seem to have a special liking for polychaetes, whereas copepods formed the main food of the young forms ofE. fasciata during the first stage. 4. Diatoms in fairly high percentages were taken by Mugil troschelli and M. parsia, though copepods formed their main item of food. 5. Amongst the Percidae, the amphipods formed an important item of food in addition to prawn larvae and copepods. Ambassis commersoni, however, has a greater preference to polychaete food. 6. The younger forms of all the Sciaenids take prawns as their main food, and the percentage of their fish food goes on slowly increasing as they grow in size.