Interpretation on the food and feeding habits of Dascyllus trimaculatus (Ruppell, 1829) from Gulf of Mannar, South East coast of India

摘要

A study of the food and feeding habits are helpful in beneficial for fisheries management and conservation. Feed in relation to size of the fish was also studied by tabulating percentage composition of different food items against the size groups. Feeding habits were inferred from the nature of food organisms consumed by the fish of various sizes in different seasons. The study indicates the preference of both sexes D. trimaculatus for Crustaceans followed by Amphipods, Isopods, Polychaetes, Nematodes, Mollusca, Detritus, Mud and Miscellaneous, which constituted more than half of the stomach contents throughout the study period.