Main Article Content
Abstract
The feeding habits of the endemic cyprinid fish, Hypselobarbus thomassi (Day, 1874) was studied based on the monthly sampling in the Kallada River, Kerala, India from April 2010 to March 2011. Gut contents of 183 fish specimens were analysed and quantified using occurrence and volumetric methods. Analysis of the gut contents showed that semi-digested plant matter (22.11%) was the most preferred food item of the fish followed by Bacillariophyceae (19.80%), Chlorophyceae (19.38%), semi-digested animal matter (11.21%), soil particles (9.20%), seeds of plants (6.70%), Cyanophyceae (5.51%) and miscellaneous items (6.08%). The results indicated that H. thomassi is an omnivorous-stenophagic-column feeder. The gastrosomatic index (GaSI) ranged from 3.28-7.33 with an increment from August to November coincides with the spawning season and energy preservation for gonadal development. The information on feeding ecology of H. thomassi, a critically endangered fresh water fish from Western Ghats biodiversity hotspot would be useful towards formulating proper conservation plan for the species in its natural range.
Keywords
Western Ghats
Cyprinid fish
Diet composition
Gastrosomatic index.
Article Details
License
The authors transfer the copyrights of their papers to the Iranian Society of Ichthyology. However, the information could be used in accordance with the Creative Commons licence (Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0)
How to Cite
RENJITHKUMAR, C. R., KUTTANELLOR, R., & BALAKRISHNAN, M. K. (2021). Food and feeding habits of the endemic fish, Hypselobarbus thomassi (Day, 1874) in the Kallada River, Kerala, India. Iranian Journal of Ichthyology, 8(2), 76–82. https://doi.org/10.22034/iji.v8i2.459
References
-
Ali, A.; Philip, S.; Dahanukar, N.; Renjithkumar, C.R.; Bijukumar, A. & Raghavan, R. 2013. Distribution, threats and conservation status of Hypselobarbus thomassi (Day, 1874), a poorly known cyprinid fish of the Western Ghats freshwater ecoregion. Journal of Threatened Taxa 5(17): 5202-5213.
Allan, J.D. 1995. Stream Ecology: Structure and Function of Running Waters. Chapman and Hall, London.
Banerjee, A. & Bandopadhyay, R. 2016. Biodiversity hotspot of Bhutan and its sustainability. Current Science 110(4): 521-527.
Bindu, L. & Padmakumar, K.G. 2008. Food of the pearlspot Etroplus suratensis (Bloch) in the Vembanad Lake, Kerala. Journal of Marine Biology Association of India 50: 156-160.
Bolliet, V.; Aranda, A. & Boujard, T. 2001. Demand-feeding rhythm in rainbow trout and European catfish: Synchronisation by photoperiod and food availability. Physiology & Behavior 73: 625-633.
Degerman, E.; Naslund, I. & Sers, B. 2000. Stream habitat use and diet of juvenile (0+) brown trout and grayling in sympatry. Ecology of Freshwater Fish 9: 191-201.
Desai, V.R. 1970. Studies on fishery and biology of Tor tor (Ham.) from river Narmada. Food and feeding habits. Journal of Inland Fisheries Society of India 2: 101-112.
Dudgeon, D. 1999. Tropical Asian Streams: Zoo Benthos, Ecology and Conservation. Hong Kong University Press, Hong Kong.
Easa, P.S. & Shaji, C.P. 2003. Biodiversity Documentation for Kerala. Part 8. Freshwater Fishes. Kerala Forest Research Institute, Kerala, India.
Gupta, S. & Banerjee, S. 2014. Food and feeding habits of a freshwater cat fish, Mystus tengra (Siluriformes: Bagridae). Journal of Ichthyology 54(9): 742-748.
Hardy, A.C. 1924. The herring in relation to its marine environment. Part 1. The food and feeding habits of the herring with special reference to the east coast of England. Fishery Investigations London 27: 1-53.
Herder, F. & Freyhof, J. 2006. Resource partitioning in a tropical stream fish assemblage. Journal of Fish Biology 69: 571-589.
Hyndes, G.A.; Platell, M.E. & Potter, I.C. 1997. Relationships between diet and body size, mouth morphology, habitat and movements of six Sillaginid species in coastal water: implications for resource partitioning. Marine Biology 128: 585-598.
Hynes, H.B.N. 1950. The food of fresh water Stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus and Pygosteus pungitius) with a review of the methods used in studies of food of fishes. Journal of Animal Ecology 19: 36-58.
Johnson, J.A. & Arunachalam, M. 2012. Feeding habit and food partitioning in a stream fish community of Western Ghats, India. Environmental Biology of Fishes 93: 51-60.
Johnson, J.A. 1999. Diversity and ecological structure of fishes in selected streams/rivers in Western Ghats. PhD Thesis. Manonmaniam Sundaranar University, Tamil Nadu, India.
Kalavathy, P.V. 2005. Trophic polymorphism and adaptive plasticity in selected threatened cyprinid fishes in streams/rivers of South India. PhD Thesis. Manonmaniam Sundaranar University, Tamil Nadu, India.
Khan, M.S.; Ambar, M.A. & Mohsin, A.K.M. 1988. Food and feeding biology of a tropical freshwater catfish, Mystus nemurus (Cuvier & Valenciennes) with special reference to its functional morphology. Journal of Fisheries 35: 78-84
Knight, J.D.M.; Rai, A. & D’souza, R.K.P. 2013. Re-description of Hypselobarbus lithopidos (Teleostei: Cyprinidae), based on its rediscovery from the Western Ghats, India, with notes on H. thomassi. Journal of Threatened Taxa 5(13): 4734-4742.
Kurup, B.M. 1993. Food and feeding habits of Labeo dussumieri (Val.) of the River Pampa. Indian Journal of Fisheries 40: 234-241.
Kurup, B.M.; Radhakrishnan, K.V. & Manojkumar, T.G. 2004. Biodiversity Status of Fishes Inhabiting Rivers of Kerala (South India) With Special Reference to Endemism, Threats and Conservation Measures. In: Proceedings of the Second International Symposium on the Management of Large Rivers for Fisheries 2 (LARS2). Cambodia, 11-14 February 2013. p: 163-182.
Lowe-McConnell, R.H. 1987. Ecological Studies in Tropical Fish Communities. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
Manorama, M. & Ramanujam, S.A. 2017. Diet of threatened fish Pethia shalynius (Yazdani and Talukdar 1975) in the Umiam River, Northeast India. Asian Fisheries Science 30: 38-49.
Natarajan, A.V. & Jhingran, A.G. 1961. Index of preponderance - a method of grading the food elements in the stomach analysis of fishes. Indian Journal of Fisheries 8(1): 54-59.
Pillay, T.V.R. 1952. A critique of the methods of study of food of fishes. Journal of Zoological Society of India 4(2): 185-200.
Renjithkumar, C.R.; Roshni, K. & Kurup, B.M. 2020. Reproductive biology of the endemic cyprinid fish Hypselobarbus thomassi (Day, 1874) from Kallada River in the Western Ghats, India. Journal of Applied Ichthyology 36(5): 604-612
Ricker, W.E. 1956. Handbook of Computation for Biological Studies of Fish Population. Bulletin of the Fisheries Research Board of Canada Ottawa, Canada.
Utne-Palm, A.C. 2002. Visual feeding of fish in a turbid environment: Physical and behavioural aspects. Marine & Freshwater Behaviour and Physiology 35: 111-128.
Walters, C.J; Christensen, V. & Pauly, D. 1997. Structuring dynamic models of exploited ecosystems from trophic mass-balance assessments. Review in Fish Biology and Fisheries 7: 139-172.
References
Ali, A.; Philip, S.; Dahanukar, N.; Renjithkumar, C.R.; Bijukumar, A. & Raghavan, R. 2013. Distribution, threats and conservation status of Hypselobarbus thomassi (Day, 1874), a poorly known cyprinid fish of the Western Ghats freshwater ecoregion. Journal of Threatened Taxa 5(17): 5202-5213.
Allan, J.D. 1995. Stream Ecology: Structure and Function of Running Waters. Chapman and Hall, London.
Banerjee, A. & Bandopadhyay, R. 2016. Biodiversity hotspot of Bhutan and its sustainability. Current Science 110(4): 521-527.
Bindu, L. & Padmakumar, K.G. 2008. Food of the pearlspot Etroplus suratensis (Bloch) in the Vembanad Lake, Kerala. Journal of Marine Biology Association of India 50: 156-160.
Bolliet, V.; Aranda, A. & Boujard, T. 2001. Demand-feeding rhythm in rainbow trout and European catfish: Synchronisation by photoperiod and food availability. Physiology & Behavior 73: 625-633.
Degerman, E.; Naslund, I. & Sers, B. 2000. Stream habitat use and diet of juvenile (0+) brown trout and grayling in sympatry. Ecology of Freshwater Fish 9: 191-201.
Desai, V.R. 1970. Studies on fishery and biology of Tor tor (Ham.) from river Narmada. Food and feeding habits. Journal of Inland Fisheries Society of India 2: 101-112.
Dudgeon, D. 1999. Tropical Asian Streams: Zoo Benthos, Ecology and Conservation. Hong Kong University Press, Hong Kong.
Easa, P.S. & Shaji, C.P. 2003. Biodiversity Documentation for Kerala. Part 8. Freshwater Fishes. Kerala Forest Research Institute, Kerala, India.
Gupta, S. & Banerjee, S. 2014. Food and feeding habits of a freshwater cat fish, Mystus tengra (Siluriformes: Bagridae). Journal of Ichthyology 54(9): 742-748.
Hardy, A.C. 1924. The herring in relation to its marine environment. Part 1. The food and feeding habits of the herring with special reference to the east coast of England. Fishery Investigations London 27: 1-53.
Herder, F. & Freyhof, J. 2006. Resource partitioning in a tropical stream fish assemblage. Journal of Fish Biology 69: 571-589.
Hyndes, G.A.; Platell, M.E. & Potter, I.C. 1997. Relationships between diet and body size, mouth morphology, habitat and movements of six Sillaginid species in coastal water: implications for resource partitioning. Marine Biology 128: 585-598.
Hynes, H.B.N. 1950. The food of fresh water Stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus and Pygosteus pungitius) with a review of the methods used in studies of food of fishes. Journal of Animal Ecology 19: 36-58.
Johnson, J.A. & Arunachalam, M. 2012. Feeding habit and food partitioning in a stream fish community of Western Ghats, India. Environmental Biology of Fishes 93: 51-60.
Johnson, J.A. 1999. Diversity and ecological structure of fishes in selected streams/rivers in Western Ghats. PhD Thesis. Manonmaniam Sundaranar University, Tamil Nadu, India.
Kalavathy, P.V. 2005. Trophic polymorphism and adaptive plasticity in selected threatened cyprinid fishes in streams/rivers of South India. PhD Thesis. Manonmaniam Sundaranar University, Tamil Nadu, India.
Khan, M.S.; Ambar, M.A. & Mohsin, A.K.M. 1988. Food and feeding biology of a tropical freshwater catfish, Mystus nemurus (Cuvier & Valenciennes) with special reference to its functional morphology. Journal of Fisheries 35: 78-84
Knight, J.D.M.; Rai, A. & D’souza, R.K.P. 2013. Re-description of Hypselobarbus lithopidos (Teleostei: Cyprinidae), based on its rediscovery from the Western Ghats, India, with notes on H. thomassi. Journal of Threatened Taxa 5(13): 4734-4742.
Kurup, B.M. 1993. Food and feeding habits of Labeo dussumieri (Val.) of the River Pampa. Indian Journal of Fisheries 40: 234-241.
Kurup, B.M.; Radhakrishnan, K.V. & Manojkumar, T.G. 2004. Biodiversity Status of Fishes Inhabiting Rivers of Kerala (South India) With Special Reference to Endemism, Threats and Conservation Measures. In: Proceedings of the Second International Symposium on the Management of Large Rivers for Fisheries 2 (LARS2). Cambodia, 11-14 February 2013. p: 163-182.
Lowe-McConnell, R.H. 1987. Ecological Studies in Tropical Fish Communities. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
Manorama, M. & Ramanujam, S.A. 2017. Diet of threatened fish Pethia shalynius (Yazdani and Talukdar 1975) in the Umiam River, Northeast India. Asian Fisheries Science 30: 38-49.
Natarajan, A.V. & Jhingran, A.G. 1961. Index of preponderance - a method of grading the food elements in the stomach analysis of fishes. Indian Journal of Fisheries 8(1): 54-59.
Pillay, T.V.R. 1952. A critique of the methods of study of food of fishes. Journal of Zoological Society of India 4(2): 185-200.
Renjithkumar, C.R.; Roshni, K. & Kurup, B.M. 2020. Reproductive biology of the endemic cyprinid fish Hypselobarbus thomassi (Day, 1874) from Kallada River in the Western Ghats, India. Journal of Applied Ichthyology 36(5): 604-612
Ricker, W.E. 1956. Handbook of Computation for Biological Studies of Fish Population. Bulletin of the Fisheries Research Board of Canada Ottawa, Canada.
Utne-Palm, A.C. 2002. Visual feeding of fish in a turbid environment: Physical and behavioural aspects. Marine & Freshwater Behaviour and Physiology 35: 111-128.
Walters, C.J; Christensen, V. & Pauly, D. 1997. Structuring dynamic models of exploited ecosystems from trophic mass-balance assessments. Review in Fish Biology and Fisheries 7: 139-172.
Allan, J.D. 1995. Stream Ecology: Structure and Function of Running Waters. Chapman and Hall, London.
Banerjee, A. & Bandopadhyay, R. 2016. Biodiversity hotspot of Bhutan and its sustainability. Current Science 110(4): 521-527.
Bindu, L. & Padmakumar, K.G. 2008. Food of the pearlspot Etroplus suratensis (Bloch) in the Vembanad Lake, Kerala. Journal of Marine Biology Association of India 50: 156-160.
Bolliet, V.; Aranda, A. & Boujard, T. 2001. Demand-feeding rhythm in rainbow trout and European catfish: Synchronisation by photoperiod and food availability. Physiology & Behavior 73: 625-633.
Degerman, E.; Naslund, I. & Sers, B. 2000. Stream habitat use and diet of juvenile (0+) brown trout and grayling in sympatry. Ecology of Freshwater Fish 9: 191-201.
Desai, V.R. 1970. Studies on fishery and biology of Tor tor (Ham.) from river Narmada. Food and feeding habits. Journal of Inland Fisheries Society of India 2: 101-112.
Dudgeon, D. 1999. Tropical Asian Streams: Zoo Benthos, Ecology and Conservation. Hong Kong University Press, Hong Kong.
Easa, P.S. & Shaji, C.P. 2003. Biodiversity Documentation for Kerala. Part 8. Freshwater Fishes. Kerala Forest Research Institute, Kerala, India.
Gupta, S. & Banerjee, S. 2014. Food and feeding habits of a freshwater cat fish, Mystus tengra (Siluriformes: Bagridae). Journal of Ichthyology 54(9): 742-748.
Hardy, A.C. 1924. The herring in relation to its marine environment. Part 1. The food and feeding habits of the herring with special reference to the east coast of England. Fishery Investigations London 27: 1-53.
Herder, F. & Freyhof, J. 2006. Resource partitioning in a tropical stream fish assemblage. Journal of Fish Biology 69: 571-589.
Hyndes, G.A.; Platell, M.E. & Potter, I.C. 1997. Relationships between diet and body size, mouth morphology, habitat and movements of six Sillaginid species in coastal water: implications for resource partitioning. Marine Biology 128: 585-598.
Hynes, H.B.N. 1950. The food of fresh water Stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus and Pygosteus pungitius) with a review of the methods used in studies of food of fishes. Journal of Animal Ecology 19: 36-58.
Johnson, J.A. & Arunachalam, M. 2012. Feeding habit and food partitioning in a stream fish community of Western Ghats, India. Environmental Biology of Fishes 93: 51-60.
Johnson, J.A. 1999. Diversity and ecological structure of fishes in selected streams/rivers in Western Ghats. PhD Thesis. Manonmaniam Sundaranar University, Tamil Nadu, India.
Kalavathy, P.V. 2005. Trophic polymorphism and adaptive plasticity in selected threatened cyprinid fishes in streams/rivers of South India. PhD Thesis. Manonmaniam Sundaranar University, Tamil Nadu, India.
Khan, M.S.; Ambar, M.A. & Mohsin, A.K.M. 1988. Food and feeding biology of a tropical freshwater catfish, Mystus nemurus (Cuvier & Valenciennes) with special reference to its functional morphology. Journal of Fisheries 35: 78-84
Knight, J.D.M.; Rai, A. & D’souza, R.K.P. 2013. Re-description of Hypselobarbus lithopidos (Teleostei: Cyprinidae), based on its rediscovery from the Western Ghats, India, with notes on H. thomassi. Journal of Threatened Taxa 5(13): 4734-4742.
Kurup, B.M. 1993. Food and feeding habits of Labeo dussumieri (Val.) of the River Pampa. Indian Journal of Fisheries 40: 234-241.
Kurup, B.M.; Radhakrishnan, K.V. & Manojkumar, T.G. 2004. Biodiversity Status of Fishes Inhabiting Rivers of Kerala (South India) With Special Reference to Endemism, Threats and Conservation Measures. In: Proceedings of the Second International Symposium on the Management of Large Rivers for Fisheries 2 (LARS2). Cambodia, 11-14 February 2013. p: 163-182.
Lowe-McConnell, R.H. 1987. Ecological Studies in Tropical Fish Communities. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
Manorama, M. & Ramanujam, S.A. 2017. Diet of threatened fish Pethia shalynius (Yazdani and Talukdar 1975) in the Umiam River, Northeast India. Asian Fisheries Science 30: 38-49.
Natarajan, A.V. & Jhingran, A.G. 1961. Index of preponderance - a method of grading the food elements in the stomach analysis of fishes. Indian Journal of Fisheries 8(1): 54-59.
Pillay, T.V.R. 1952. A critique of the methods of study of food of fishes. Journal of Zoological Society of India 4(2): 185-200.
Renjithkumar, C.R.; Roshni, K. & Kurup, B.M. 2020. Reproductive biology of the endemic cyprinid fish Hypselobarbus thomassi (Day, 1874) from Kallada River in the Western Ghats, India. Journal of Applied Ichthyology 36(5): 604-612
Ricker, W.E. 1956. Handbook of Computation for Biological Studies of Fish Population. Bulletin of the Fisheries Research Board of Canada Ottawa, Canada.
Utne-Palm, A.C. 2002. Visual feeding of fish in a turbid environment: Physical and behavioural aspects. Marine & Freshwater Behaviour and Physiology 35: 111-128.
Walters, C.J; Christensen, V. & Pauly, D. 1997. Structuring dynamic models of exploited ecosystems from trophic mass-balance assessments. Review in Fish Biology and Fisheries 7: 139-172.