The Gut Contents of the Squalius cii in a Permanently Interrupted River System, the Karamenderes River

Abstract

The goal of this study was to determine the temporal and spatial distribution of the gut contents of Squalius cii specimens in a permanently interrupted Karamenderes River. The specimens were sampled at seven distinct locations along the Karamenderes River in summer 2012, autumn 2012, and spring 2013. The gut contents of a total of 157 specimens were examined. The data on the identified food organisms were quantified as the percentage of the index of relative importance (IRI%), niche breadth (BA), trophic level (TL), feeding intensity (Vacuity Index, VI), and food diversity (H’). In all seasons, the examined specimens were found to mostly feed on the members of the Insecta family in the river's upper section and on Bacillariophyceae and macrophytes in the lower section. The feeding intensity was found to be the highest in spring 2013, while the food diversity was realized to exhibit the highest value (2.21) at the Karaköy 1 site in summer 2012. The niche breadth of the examined specimens varied between 0.01 and 0.73, whereas their trophic levels ranged between 2.01 and 3.48. The S. cii specimens were fed on high-quality foods in the upper section of the dam.