Diet and feeding habits of the small catfish,Clarias liocephalusin wetlands ofWesternUganda

Abstract

AbstractClarias liocephalusis an air‐breathing catfish inhabiting wetland and river systems in East Africa. This catfish is in high demand for sale as live bait in the Nile perch fishery of Lake Victoria and equally important in the diet of local communities in the lake basin. Wetland loss and increasing fishing pressure potentially threaten the persistence ofC. liocephalus; however, little information exists on the ecology of this species to permit evaluation of current threats. This study quantified dietary characteristics ofC. liocephalusfrom heavy and lightly fished wetlands in Western Uganda using numeric, gravimetric and volumetric indices on 492 stomach samples collected over one year.Clarias liocephaluswas significantly smaller in three heavily fished sites, relative to the one in‐park site, likely a reflection of a size‐selective fishery. Across sites,C. liocephaluswas a generalist feeder whose diet was dominated by aquatic dipteran larvae and plant material. The broad niche givesC. liocephalusan ecological advantage to forage effectively on a wide selection of prey. The significant presence of plant material shows that the species may utilize plant protein, an important consideration of diet requirements should the species be selected for aquaculture.