Abstract
Diet and dietary habits of African Butter Catfish Schilbe mystus (Linne, 1766), an economically important fish in Oyan and Asejire lakes (southwest Nigeria) were examined between July 2000 and December 2001. Stomach contents were analysed using the numerical, frequency of occurrence and points methods. The fish is predatory but the diet differs among lakes and seasons. Insects were more important in the diet of small (<than 18 cm) fish. There were also differences in the quantity of food encountered in the stomachs of male and female S. mystus in both habitats. The pattern of food selection and consumption in this species differed between the two lakes.
Highlights
Asejire and Oyan lakes are artificial lakes constructed on Osun and Ogun River respectively and these rivers are the main rivers in the basin of Southwestern Nigeria
All these reported on food and feeding habits of several species, so there is no detailed work on Schilbe mystus which is the only member of family Schilbeidae in both lakes
This paper describes the diet and dietary habits of S. mystus in Asejire and Oyan lakes, highlighting effects of size, season and sex on feeding
Summary
Coelospharium the dominant blue green algae in diet of this species in Oyan lake was not encountered in stomachs examined in Asejire Lake. Insects and their appendages were encountered more frequently in contents of stomachs of S. mystus in both lakes than any other food items. Asejire Lake: For smaller size group, insect food items (23.7%) were of more relative importance than fish food items (15.5%) (Table 3).
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