Feeding Biology of Barilius bendelisis (Hamilton 1807) from the Hill Streams of Manas River, Assam, India

Abstract

The present paper is concerned with the study of food and feeding habits including feeding intensity, the nature of food consumed, and the index of preponderance of food items. The gut contents of 158 specimens of Barilius bendelisis caught from the hill streams of Manas River, Assam, India revealed that the main food consists of insect larvae (48.78%) occupying the first rank in grading among all the other food items, followed by phytoplankton (22.55%), sand and mud (14.49%), others (10.45%) and debris (1.42%). The mean value of relative length of the gut (RLG) was calculated 1.271 indicates the omnivorous nature of Barilius bendelisis. Average seasonal Gastro-somatic index (GSI) ranged from 5.089 ± 1.94 to 9.344 ± 2.48 for males and that of female from 5.095 ±1.98 to 11.166 ±2.89. Moreover, instances of poor feeding and empty stomachs were rarely observed in all the four seasons. These findings suggest that the feeding intensity of Barilius bendelisis is high and it is an active feeder.