Feeding ecology of carp fishes and cat fishes captured from Gomati River stretch at Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India.

Abstract

Important aspects, related to an individual’s life cycle directly dependent on its feeding behavior. In fish biology, growth, reproduction, survival and role of fishes in aquatic ecosystem is depend on amount and type of food selected by them. Preference of fishes over common food items lead to feeding competition, that may affect the population dynamics of fishes. In this study, food habits of carp and cat fishes were determined on the basis of gut content analysis. The overall diversity of food items in the diet of fish species suggests a response to interspecific as well as more prevalent intraspecific competition in the river environment. Outcomes suggested that carp fishes and cat fishes may adapt to omnivorous nature, although carp fishes feed mainly on phytoplankton and cat fishes on zooplanktons and others.