Background of the study:

Predation pressure affects the age structure, genetic selection, and habitat selection of prey species.
Predator maximizes energy intake by balancing the energy expended in searching and capturing prey
with the energy gained from metabolizing that food. The distribution patterns (Barros and Wells,
1998; Lambert et al., 2014), group size, and social structure of social predators are thus influenced by
the distribution and composition of prey. The optimal foraging theory (OFT) is a classical paradigm
used to explain or even predict the diet of a forager, assumptions of which include: (1) predators
should prefer prey that yield more energy compared to foraging costs, (2) as abundance of higher
profitable prey species increases in the environment, lower profitable prey should be dropped out
from the diet and predators should become more specialised, and (3) foragers should obey a
quantitative threshold rule for when specific prey types should be included or excluded from an
optimal diet. Thus, predators have to develop an adapted foraging strategy related with their specific
energy requirements. Previous literature suggests that dolphins are opportunistic feeders: predators
which consume their prey without selection, i.e. proportionately to their availability in the
environment (Spitz et al.,2010). The quality of prey can be measured by nutrient composition and
digestibility, which is often measured by energy density or kilo joules per gram (KJ/g) (McCluskey et
al., 2016).

Aim:

 A better understanding of microhabitats used for dolphin foraging.

 A comparison between the microhabitats where dolphins forage.

Hypotheses: Dolphins consume high numbers of fish to meet their energetic requirements, where less
energy-rich fishes are found. Species that are large in size and most abundant are assumed to be the
most likely prey of dolphins, as they would offer the most efficient exchange between energy exerted
while hunting and capturing the prey vs. energy gained through ingestion.

Objective:

 to test if the diet of ganges river dolphins, in the river reflected prey availability or a
selection shaped by prey energy densities (ED).
 to identify ‘preferred’ prey species and to determine whether diet–abundance relationships
for these species are more consistent with opportunistic or selective predation.
 relate shifts in the size composition of the diet to age-class abundance in the fish prey.
 what effect changes in fish abundance currently have (and have had in the past) on dolphin
populations?
 Understanding the effects of changes in prey abundance on predators.
 Do river dolphins show preference for energy-rich species or that they are opportunistic
predators?
 How the intensity of predation on all prey species would be expected to vary in proportion
to their abundances?
 why does the observed array of prey species compose the diet of a given predator?

Methods:

Present study aims a detailed analysis of the fish community structure, endemism and species richness
in the freshwater zone of the Hooghly river by studying gear wise fish catch, diversity and abundance
of fish fauna along with the size range of each fish species and conservation status according to our
own observations. Species diversity can be calculated using the Species diversity index (Hʹ), evenness
index (J) and index of dominance (D). Relative abundance is the ratio of abundance between two or
more locations or species or size classes. If catchability is equal between the entities that are being
compared, then relative abundance can be calculated from catch-per-unit-effort, without knowing
what the catchability is. If catchability differs due to gear differences, habitat differences, or species
differences, then this must be taken into account. Absolute abundance is the number of fish present
in a specific area. Density is the number of fish present in a unit of area or volume. Knowledge of
catchability is necessary to calculate absolute abundance and density.

Study period:

To investigate the seasonal variation of fish communities this study period is categorized into 3 phases
viz. pre monsoon (March-June) with little or no rainfall with very high temperature, the monsoon (July-
Oct) with heavy rainfall and relatively lower temperature and post monsoon (Nov-Feb) season with a
drastic reduction of temperature and occasional rainfall.

Study Area:

Fish sampling:
Fish sampling is undertaken to obtain information about characteristics of fish populations or
communities, often in relation to the habitats they occupy.

Three sampling methods

1) Gill nets: A multi-mesh monofilament gillnet can be used to capture fish in the mid-water
column.

2) Traps:

3) Hooks:

The calorific value of prey samples can be determined by bomb calorimetry, following the protocol of
the bomb calorimeter (Parr, 1969).

Fish selection for bomb calorimetry based on: (a) very abundant during sampling or (b) the largest
species caught during the first summer and winter sampling seasons.

Bomb Calorimetry technique:

Reference:
Santos, M., German, I., Correia, D., Read, F., Martinez Cedeira, J., Caldas, M., … Pierce, G.
(2013). Long-term variation in common dolphin diet in relation to prey abundance. Marine Ecology
Progress Series, 481, 249-268.

Spitz, J., Mourocq, E., Leauté, J.-P., Quéro, J.-C., & Ridoux, V. (2010). Prey selection by the common
dolphin: Fulfilling high energy requirements with high quality food. Journal of Experimental Marine
Biology and Ecology, 390(2), 73–77.

McCluskey, S.M, Bejder, L & Loneragan, N.R. (2016). Dolphin Prey Availability and Calorific Value in
an Estuarine and Coastal Environment. Frontiers in Marine Science,3,30.