Food and feeding ecology of Tor putitora (Hamilton, 1822) from Rajouri River of Pir Panjal Himalayan Range, India
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17017/j.fish.1477Keywords:
feeding habits, food, Himalayan region, putitor mahseer, Rajouri River, Tor putitoraAbstract
The present investigation provides the first comprehensive account of food and feeding habits of 375 Endangered putitor mahseer, Tor putitora, from Rajouri River of the Pir Panjal Himalayan region. Food items were grouped into eight categories, namely macroinvertebrates, zooplanktons, algal matter, unidentified plant matter, fish remains, detritus, unidentified-debris, and mud and sand, which were broadly classified into three major groups- plant matter, animal matter and miscellaneous materials. Quantitative and qualitative analyses revealed that plant matter constituted 38.97% of the diet, followed by miscellaneous materials 34.16% and animal matter 26.75%. The gastro somatic index and fullness index varied with sex, maturity stage and season owing to changes in food availability and reproductive activity. Both indices were the lowest during the spawning stage and highest during the pre-spawning stage. Feeding intensity increased during maturation and ripening (stages III and IV), but decreased significantly during the ripe stage (stage V). The relationship between total length and gut length indicated that gut was longer than the body, with body length-to-gut length ratios were 1:1.50 in females and 1:1.65 in males. Overall, relative length of gut, the index of preponderance, and predominance of algal matter throughout the year, together with the occurrence of animal matter in the gut indicate that the T. putitora is a column-feeding omnivore. These findings provide baseline information on the feeding ecology of this threatened species and will be valuable for the development of captive breeding, habitat management and conservation strategies.
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