Food and Feeding Habits of Mystus tengara (Hamilton, 1822) of Gomati River and Rudrasagar Lake, Tripura, India
Srabanti Majumder
College of Fisheries, CAU, Lembucherra, Agartala, Tripura-799210, India.
Mrinal Kanti Datta
College of Fisheries, CAU, Lembucherra, Agartala, Tripura-799210, India.
Sourabh Debbarma
College of Fisheries, CAU, Lembucherra, Agartala, Tripura-799210, India.
Anamika Debnath
College of Fisheries, CAU, Lembucherra, Agartala, Tripura-799210, India.
Pampa Bhattacharjee
College of Fisheries, CAU, Lembucherra, Agartala, Tripura-799210, India.
Diamond Rajakumar Tenali *
College of Fisheries, CAU, Lembucherra, Agartala, Tripura-799210, India.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Mystus tengara is a popular food fish species due to its taste, and one of the potential ornamental fish species in ornamental trades. A total of 237 specimens of Mystus tengara [1] species were collected from Rudra Sagar Lake and Kemtali. 47 food items were observed in the gut of Mystus tengara. The present study has been performed on the food and feeding habits, Gastro Somatic Index, Relative Length of Gut, Fullness and feeding Intensity, and Gut Content Analysis of Mystus tengara. Results of the study revealed that Mystus tengara is a carnivorous fish and zooplankton is the basic food group for this fish species; rotifer has also been observed as the most preferable food class. The species showed isometric growth which indicates the well-being condition of the fish.
Keywords: Gastro somatic index, relative length of gut, gut fullness, feeding intensity, gut content analysis