scholarly journals Feeding habits of the freshwater crab Sodhiana iranica from Southern Iran

2017 ◽  
Vol 29 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sana Sharifian ◽  
Ehsan Kamrani

Abstract Aim: Freshwater crab, Sodhiana iranica, is an endemic gecarcinucid crab that has been recently reported from Southern Iran. This research examined some feeding aspects of S. iranica from Eelood freshwater spring, Southern Iran. Methods Crabs were randomly sampled from April 2012 to April 2013, on a bimonthly basis. The stomach contents were obtained from 120 exemplars with carapace width ranging from 15.0 to 35.2mm. Results Results showed stomach contents consist of mainly large quantities of plant remains, insects, oligochaetes, crustaceans and also small quantities of unidentifiable matter and debris. Major food groups were observed in different season, with plant remains the most dominant in spring (39.8%), whereas in autumn, the insects and crustaceans were dominant with 38.6% and 23.1%, respectively. The other food items include oligochaetes and debris, were the most abundant in summer (19.0%) and winter (15.5%), respectively. There were no difference observed in the quantity of the food consumed in both sexes and also significant differences observed in the preference for food items in the different season. The CV index varied significantly in both sexes that were ranged between 1.4 to 38.9% and 12.5 to 83.3%, for male and female, respectively. Conclusions Despite the diversity in diets and feeding habits of S. iranica, it was shown an herbivore-biased omnivore mainly rely on plant sources.

2016 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 301-304 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. N. Bahuguna ◽  
Anita Rawat Rana ◽  
Shurveer Singh

The present study was carried out to study the diet composition of freshwater crab, P. koolooense in hillstream Khoh of Uttarakhand during November, 2013 to October, 2014. Total 105 crab samples were used for the study, 35 male and 47 female were found with food in their stomach while rest of the 23 had empty stomachs. The carapace length (CL) ranged from 12mm to 49mm, carapace width (CW) from 15mm to 59mm and total weight (TW) from 2.08g to 60.12g. Stomach content analysis of the animal showed that the diet of the animal composed of animal matter, plant matter, algae, fungi, debris and unidentified materials. Animal matter ranged from (3.27-11.93%), plant matter (4.37-14.44%), algae (1.73-6.15%), fungi (0.17-1.43%), debris (28.18-40.47%) and unidentified materials (36.46-50.05%) in males while in the female animal matter ranged from (3.09-12.34%), plant matter (4.45-12.73%), algae (1.03-7.61%), fungi (0.02-3.34%), debris (23.18-43.34%) and unidentified (30.31-51.04%). Unidentified materials recorded maximum and fungi recorded minimum in both the sexes of Potamon koolooense. A significant difference was observed at p<0.05 between food groups- algae and unidentified matter in both sexes. This is the first report, to key out and quantifies the dietary items and feeding habits of crab in Uttarakhand which would be helpful in interpreting the ecological niche of the animal in mountain stream communities.


2019 ◽  
Vol 99 (06) ◽  
pp. 1343-1351
Author(s):  
Olfa Ben Abdallah-Ben Hadj Hamida ◽  
Nader Ben Hadj Hamida ◽  
Rihab Ammar ◽  
Houda Chaouch ◽  
Hechmi Missaoui

AbstractThe alien blue swimming crab, Portunus segnis (Forskål, 1775), an Indo-Pacific species, has been recorded in the southern Mediterranean Sea for decades, and its occurrence along the southern Tunisian coasts has been recorded since 2014. The feeding habits of P. segnis were studied in the Gulf of Gabes from October 2015 to September 2016. The stomach contents of 3061 crabs, ranging from 50 to 168 mm carapace width, were analysed. The stomach contents appeared to consist mainly of large quantities of crustaceans, fish and molluscs, and small quantities of echinoderms, annelids, tunicates, cnidarians, plants, unidentifiable matter and debris. The major food groups observed were crustaceans throughout the year with fish and molluscs secondly. In juvenile, sub-adult and adult crabs, crustaceans constituted the dominant food source and these were present in more than 65% of the stomachs analysed. Ingestion of fish increases as the crab matures. A significant difference (P &lt; 0.05) was observed in the quantity of the food consumed by the two sexes. The diet also increased with increasing ovary maturity degree, while the percentage of empty stomachs in ovigerous and non-ovigerous females did not show any difference. The vacuity index varied significantly in both sex (P &lt; 0.0001), among size (P &lt; 0.0001) and seasons (P &lt; 0.0001). This study shows that, despite the diversity in blue crab diets and feeding habits, it is omnivorous with a preference for animal material.


Author(s):  
AMANI CHAFFAI ◽  
WAFA RJIBA-BAHRI ◽  
ASMA ABIDI ◽  
FRANҪOISE DENIS ◽  
JAMILA BEN SOUISSI

Feeding habits of the invasive spider crab Libinia dubia from the Mediterranean Sea were studied in the Gulf of Gabès (Tunisia) using the frequency of occurrence and points methods. The population was sampled at least monthly between November 2015 and October 2016. Stomach contents of 384 specimens were analysed. Results indicate that L. dubia is an herbivorous species exhibiting clear preferences for algae (ALG) and Magnoliophyta (MAG) (62.03%, 7.13 points and 59.36%, 5.3 points respectively) although Echinodermata (ECH), Porifera (POR), Cnidaria (CNI), Mollusca (MOL), Polychaeta (POL), Crustacea (CRU) and fish (FIS) were accidentally consumed along with Bryozoa (BRY), sediment (SED), and unidentifiable materials (UNM). The diversity of ALG ingested was studied in detail: Chlorophyceae were found in 87.93% of stomachs containing ALG and contributed most of points to the stomach contents (4.18 points) followed respectively by Phaeophyceae (81.03%, 2.27 points) and Rhodophyceae (40.95%, 0.68 points).Very low Vacuity Index was recorded (VI = 2.6%). Ingested items varied significantly with regard to the season (Chi-square test, χ2calculated = 87.86 > χ2theoretical = 7.81, df = 3, p < 0.05) and crab size (χ2calculated = 14.25 > χ2theoretical = 5.99, df = 2, p = 0.026). Insignificant differences were registered by studying Carapace Width-Stomach Weight (CW-SW) relationships (T-test, tcalculated < ttheoretical, p > 0.05). Kruskal-Wallis test was applied so that the composition of crab diet among groups could be compared (H = 1.1, df = 3, p = 0.77). 


2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 148-155
Author(s):  
Olusola Olaniyi KOMOLAFE ◽  
Timothy Olalekan AMOO ◽  
Michael Olufemi AWODIRAN

The food and feeding habits of the redbelly Tilapia (Tilapia zillii) and Guenther’s mouthbrooder (Chromidotilapia guntheri) were investigated in an abandoned gold mine reservoir at Igun from June 2013 to May 2014. Using a cast net and gill-net fishing gears, 370 fish individuals were caught and their stomach contents were analysed by using the frequency of occurrence and numerical methods. Tilapia zillii comprised 53.78% (199 individuals), while Chromidotilapia guntheri covered up the remaining percentage (46.22%) which is made up of 171 individuals. Food items in the stomachs of T. zillii individuals predominantly consisted of detritus, mud and algae (77.97%), while those in C. guntheri individuals mostly consisted fish remains, detritus and algae (81.67%). T. zillii exploited more food items (23 of 27) as compared to C. guntheri (17 of 27). The Schoener’s index value for the species was 0.65. The study showed that T. zillii and C. guntheri exhibited benthopelagic exploitation and are mainly herbivorous and omnivorous respectively based on the food items observed in the stomach contents of these species. The fish species fed on related food items as confirmed by Schoener’s overlap index (0.65), suggesting that there was overlap in the dietary requirements of the two species. This index value, however, was probably not an indication of competition for food between these two species because they exploited abundant food sources.


Crustaceana ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 84 (10) ◽  
pp. 1169-1180 ◽  

AbstractFood habits of the blue swimmer crab, Portunus pelagicus were investigated using specimens collected from trawl catches in the Mandapam region, Tamil Nadu, along the east coast of India (9°20-25′N 79°5-10′E), during the period January to December, 1999. The stomach contents of 452 crabs, ranging from 61 to 180 mm carapace width, were analysed. Their diet included crustaceans, molluscs, fishes, unidentifiable matter, and debris. In adult crabs, crustaceans constituted the dominant food source and these were present in 78.43% of the stomachs analysed. The stomach contents of juveniles and sub-adults were dominated by debris. There was no significant difference between sexes in the frequency of occurrence of food items or in their “percentage points” [= the (virtual) percentual contribution to the fullness of a 100% full stomach]. However, there was a difference between the stomachs of ovigerous and non-ovigerous females. There were also significant differences in the preference for food items in the different size groups of the crab. The results collected from the present study showed that P. pelagicus exhibits, in this region at least, a clear preference for crustaceans.


Author(s):  
M. Carolina Romero ◽  
Gustavo A. Lovrich ◽  
Federico Tapella ◽  
Sven Thatje

Munida subrugosa is the most abundant galatheid crab species in the Beagle Channel (55°S 68°W) off Tierra del Fuego, Argentina. Samples of crabs and the epibenthic community were taken on a monthly basis at two different depth strata (<40 m and >70 m), by means of epibenthic trawling from 1998 to 1999. Stomach contents from 1582 crabs were analysed, out of which only 2% had empty stomachs. The quantity of food in the stomach contents was clearly seasonal and similar at both depths. The organic matter varied throughout the year and between both depths, being significantly higher in summer/spring than in autumn/winter. Munida subrugosa shows two different and simultaneous feeding habits: (1) as a predator M. subrugosa feeds on crustaceans, algae, and polychaetes; and (2) as a deposit feeder M. subrugosa consumes particulate organic matter and organisms associated with the superficial layer of the sediment. The composition of the diet of Munida subrugosa was similar for both years, and independent of depth, sex or season. Munida subrugosa selected crustaceans only in autumn and winter, whereas most food items were found according to their availability in the habitat.


Author(s):  
Edem, Edem Thomas ◽  
Patience B. Opeh

The present study is aimed to provide information on the food and feeding habit of adult Auchenoglanis biscutatus in Lower River Benue. The natural food of A. biscutatus in the Lower River Benue was studied from stomach contents of the fish. The stomach contents were analyzed using two methods; the frequency of occurrence and point methods. A total of 100 stomachs were randomly examined. Eleven major items constituted the diet of A. biscutatus. The stomach content analysis of A. biscutatus have shown that they fed on the various food items ranging from plant parts, detritus, seeds, digested food particles, fish parts, mollusc, sand/mud, insect parts and algae. This indicates that A. biscutatus is an omnivorous bottom feeder since; bottom dwelling immature insects dominated most of the food items of animal origin, digested food and detritus. A. biscutatus in Lower Benue River feeds on a wide range of food items which could make it to be regarded as an omnivore. Future attempts to culture this species must take cognizance of its food habits in the wild.


2014 ◽  
Vol 44 (2) ◽  
pp. 235-244 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jô de Farias Lima ◽  
Jamile da Silva Garcia ◽  
Thibério Carvalho da Silva

Macrobrachium carcinus is a Brazilian native prawn with recognized potential for use in aquaculture activities. However, there is little information about the natural diet and feeding habits of this species. The aim of this study was the identification of the diet items of M. carcinus based on the analysis of the stomach contents. Specimens were collected in the Amazon River estuary between January 2009 and January 2010. The stomach analysis was carried out by using the frequency of occurrence (FO), methods of points (MP) and feeding index (FI). It was observed that prawns fed on detritus, animals and plant fragments as the most important food items. Sediment accounted for the main stomach content, accounting for 43.2% by the MP, 44.9% by FI and 100% by the FO. Sexual differences in feeding preferences were not found in this study, and seasonal differences in the frequency of items ingested by M. carcinus were not observed. The results indicated that M. carcinus can be considered omnivorous species, but with an important carnivorous component, similar to that found in other Macrobrachium species.


Author(s):  
Martha L. Cortés ◽  
María M. Críales

Juveniles and adults of the seabob Xiphopenaeus kroyeri (Heller) were collected at monthly invervals between September 1988 and June 1988. The food items were determined in order of descending importance as: detritus and fragments of bivalve shells, polychaete worms, foraminiferans, and crustaceans. There was a difference in the feeding habits between the rainy seasson (September to December) and the dry season (January to June) with items like rotifers, sponges and radiolarians appearing only during the dry season. Analysis of the frequency of occurrence of different food items showed that groups like rotifers and bryozoans appear more frequently in juveniles. Measurements of protein and carbohydrate levels in the stomach contents revealed the highest peaks of proteins for adults in September (92.03 ug/mg dry weight of stomach contents) and for juveniles in December (81.27 ug/mg), and of carbohydrates for adults in October (45.81 ug/mg) and for juveniles in December (35.25 ug/mg). Quantitative differences in proteins and carbohydrates between the two size groups were not statistically significant.


2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jones Santander-Neto ◽  
Dante J. V. Freitas ◽  
Hugo Bornatowski ◽  
Rosângela Lessa

Abstract The feeding habits of Urotrygon microphthalmum, a Critically Endangered (CR) species, were investigated through stomach contents analysis from specimens caught on bottom double rigged otter trawls in Pernambuco state, Brazil, between March of 2010 and March of 2012. A total of 338 stomachs were analyzed, and 31 food items were identified in the diet of U. microphthalmum. The species ingests mainly shrimps. The diets between males and females were not different, and an ontogenetic diet shift was not observed. The estimated species’ trophic level is 3.5, classifying it as a secondary order consumer.


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