Journal of Zoology and Research (JZR)

Vol. 2, Issue 2, Dec 2016, 1-6

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FOOD AND FEEDING HABITS OF OXYURICHTHYS TENTACULARIS,

GOBIIDAE (VALENCIENNES, 1837) FROM ASHTAMUDI LAKE - KERALA
REMYA MOHAN & SHERLY WILLIAMS, E
Environmental Science, Aquaculture & Fish Biotechnology Lab,
Department of Zoology, Fatima Mata National College, Kollam, Kerala, India
ABSTRACT
The food and feeding habits of Oxyurichthys tentacularis was studied from Ashtamudi Lake in Kollam district.
Oxyurichthys tentacularis locally known as koozhali commercially one of the important food fish of Ashtamudi Lake.
The fish is a member of Gobiidae family, and particularly a bottom feeder. The Dietary analysis showed that
Oxyurichthys tentacularis is an omnivore. The study revealed that fish does not prefer any specific food items. Feeding
was mainly depends upon the availability of food items. Detritus and Crustaceans constituted the major food items.
KEYWORDS: Oxyurichthys tentacularis, Ashtamudi Estuary, Food and Feeding Habits

INTRODUCTION
The study of food and feeding habits of commercially important fishes is inevitable for understanding the
various aspects of biology such as growth, development, reproduction, migration and condition
(Windell, and Bowen, 1978). Study on food and feeding habits of fishes is one of the main aspects in its biological

Original Article

Received: Aug 08, 2016; Accepted: Sep 09, 2016; Published: Sep 19, 2016; Paper Id.: JZRDEC20161

study (Qasim, 1972). The spectrum of prey consumed by a species helps to define its fundamental niche
(Hutchinson, 1957) . Extensive studies on feeding biology of fishes are available (Brul et al.,1994; Hyslop,
1980;Windell and Bowen, 1978; George et al., 1968; Nair, 1979 ; Dasgupta, 2004; Tandon (1962); Geevarghese
(1976); Lekshmi et al., 2010)
Members of the Gobiidae are small benthic fishes inhabiting a wide range of habitats in temperate and
tropical regions (Nelson 1994) The Oxyurichthys tentacularis, a member of family Gobiidae, is one of the
important food fish of Astamudi lake.Studies on Indian gobioid fishes are very few . Given the lack of biological
or ecological data on this species the objective of this work was to study the food and feeding habits of
Oxyurichthys tentacularis in the Ashtamudi lake of Kerala.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The specimens of O. tentacularis were collected from Ashtamudi lake (8o 53- 9o 02 N; 76o 31- 76o 41
E) with the help of local fishermen by using cast net and gill net. A total of 430 guts (length range of fish 10cm to
17cm were examined following the procedures suggested by Windell and Bowen (1978). The guts along with
contents were removed and preserved in 5% formalin. The total length and fullness of the guts were recorded.
The gut was exposed and the stomach contents were analyzed using the frequency of occurrence and point
methods. For the frequency of occurrence, the number of stomachs containing food was quantified and expressed

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Remya Mohan & Sherly Williams, E

as a percentage of all non-empty stomachs. The intensity of feeding was assessed based on the state of fullness of the gut
and the amount of food contained in it, and categorized as empty, poor, moderate (half-full gut), full and gorged
(full and dilated gut) and were represented as stage I,II, III, IV and V respectively.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS

The present study showed a mixed diet composition such as Detritus, Crustacean, Bivalves, Green algae, Blue
green algae, Diatoms, Polychaete worms, Fish scales and eggs revealed that the fish is predominantly an omnivore.
Detritus and Crustaceans are invariably present in the stomach throughout the year and constitute the maximum quantity.
So these two are the most preferred food items. Detritus (37.01%) is an assortment of different materials containing faecal
tubes of invertibrates, soft bottom mud with sand, decaying plant and animal matter. Crustaceans (35.24%) consist of
amphipods (majority) mainly Phortis sp., and Talorchestia Ostracods and copepods include calanoid and cyclopoid
copepods. Crustacean larvae mostly of prawns both penaeid and palaemonids. Bivalves occupied (11.62%) Diatoms
(Bacillariophyceae) (6.24%) were represented by pleurosigma (most abundant), fragillaria, Navicula, Nitzschia
(prominent), Coscinodiscus, Synedra, Cocconema, Rhizosolena and Pinnularia. Blue green algae (3.21%) were represented
mostly by Microcystis, Anabaena and Oscillatoria. Green algae ( 2.13%) consist of Spirogyra, Closterium, Scenedesmus
and Hormidium. Polychaetes(3.21) mainly includes Neries. Fish scales and egg (1.23%) were least choice, and they
ingested accidentally. Seasonal variation, includes detritus and Crustaceans are consistently present in the stomach
throughout the year. Preference of detritus was high in August, September, November and December and at the same time
the crustacean preference was high in January, February, June, July and October. Diatoms showed a season of occurance.
Polycheate worms seen sporadically.
Feeding intensity and gastrosomatic Index shows a wide variation Percentage of empty stomach (Figure 2)
indicated lowest food intake during monsoon months (June-July) coinciding with the breeding season and intense feeding
during pre monsoon months. The presence of copepods, bivalves, eggs and micro-mollusks in the diet, although showing a
relatively high frequency of occurrence, appears to be incidental. It has even been noticed that the same species may
consume a variety of food from different localities which means that, some of the gobioid species have no food specificity.
Since the food and feeding habits of this species has not been reported previously so it is very difficult to compare the
present results with earlier results. But details are available on the feeding habits of other species of gobioids. Such
information shows that they may range from near herbivorous to purely carnivorous, feeding on a wide variety of
ingestible organisms from its habitat.The presence of sand grains, and detritus in the diet was a sign of the benthic
behaviour of the fish (Serajuddin, and Rustam 2005). The diets of many goby species also indicate that detritus and algae
are common food types (Kinch 1979, Darcy 1980, 1981, Maciolek 1981).
The occurrence of empty stomachs which is related with rapid rate of digestion. It may be clear that the feeding
intensity and diet composition of fish are apparently linked to the availability of food in the habitat
(Bhatnagar and Karamchandani, 1970). Percentage of empty stomach (Figure 2) indicated lowest food intake during
monsoon months coinciding with the breeding season and intense feeding during premonsoon months
(Jayaprakas and Nair, 1981) . Ompok bimaculatus and O. malabaricus show low feeding intensity during August and June
may not be due to shortage of food items but due to the spawning season of the fish (Arthi et al.,2011). According to
Menon & Chacko (1956) fishes feeding on filamentous algae, molluscs, worms, and whose guts contain sand grains in fair
proportions are benthic feeders.
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Food and Feeding Habits of Oxyurichthys tentacularis,

Gobiidae (Valenciennes, 1837) from Ashtamudi Lake - Kerala

CONCLUSIONS
If this characterization is to be relied upon, Oxyurichthys tentacularis is also a bottom feeder as with most of the
gobioid fishes. These observations shows that availability of food in the habitat is the main factor that determines the
feeding habits of some gobioids, and that such species have no food specificity.
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Darcy, G.H. (1980). Comparison of ecological and life history information on gobiid fishes, with emphasis on the southeastern
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Hutchinson, G. E. (1957). Concluding remarks. Cold Spring Harbor Symp. Quant. Biol., 22: 415427.

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Remya Mohan & Sherly Williams, E

18. Tandon, K.K. (1962). Biology of Channa punctatus (Bloch) and Glossogobius giuris (Ham.) Research Bulletin. Punjab
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APPENDICES
Table 1: Monthly Composition (%) of Food Items of Oxyurichthys
tentacularis in Ashtamudi Lake During 2013 - 2014
Months
August
September
October
November
December
January
February
March
April
May
June
July

No.
of
Fish
35
31
34
29
26
27
29
34
33
34
32
31

Detritus

Crustacean

Bivalves

Green
Algae

54.32
61.02
31.68
51.53
62.31
34.31
39.31
13.21
23.31
26.69
13.21

23.36
23.15
42.21
23.26
21.32
42.36
40.36
27.21
21.56
33.21
61.32

16.03
14.26
12.98
13.32
5.09
2.81
11.41
10.77
19.36
15.7
23.17

1.32
1.30
1.36
2.10
3.24
5.31
2.61
-

Blue
Green
Algae
1.09
1.36
5.69
3.65
4.25
1.32
3.64
15.32
9.63
-

12.30

66.32

17.31

Diatoms

Polychaete
Worms

Fish Scales
and Egg

9.03
2.30
5.31
12.36
15.62
13.25
9.30
-

2.13
0.36
2.30
5.20
1.03
1.89
1.54
-

1.32
0.31
3.65
2.58
1.02
0.25
0.30
1.24
1.32
2.30

1.39

2.68

Table 2: Diet Composition of Oxyurichthys tentacularis in

Ashtamudi Lake in Lake during 2013 2014
Diet Composition
Detritus
Crustacean
Bivalves
Green algae
Blue green algae
Diatoms
Polychaete worms
Fish scales and egg

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Percentage
37
35
11
2
3
6
3
1

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Food and Feeding Habits of Oxyurichthys tentacularis,

Gobiidae (Valenciennes, 1837) from Ashtamudi Lake - Kerala

Figure 1: Fullness of the Gut of Oxyurichthys tentacularis in Ashtamudi Lake

During 2013-2014 (I Empty, II Poor, III Moderate, IV Full, V Gorged)

Figure 2: Diet Composition of Oxyurichthys tentacularis in Ashtamudilake during 20132014

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