Impact of environmental factors on the dietary preferences of Salmophasia  bacaila in the Dhepa River, Bangladesh

Md. Afzal Hossain; Most. Sabina Yesmin; Shefali Aktar; Md. Mamun; Krishna Chandra Roy; Md. Ashraful Alam; Md. Rezoanul Haque

doi:10.17017/j.fish.706

Md. Afzal Hossain Department of Fisheries Management, Faculty of Fisheries, Hajee Mohammad Danesh Science and Technology University, Dinajpur 5200, Bangladesh
Most. Sabina Yesmin Department of Fisheries Management, Faculty of Fisheries, Hajee Mohammad Danesh Science and Technology University, Dinajpur 5200, Bangladesh
Shefali Aktar Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Agriculture, Hajee Mohammad Danesh Science and Technology University, Dinajpur 5200, Bangladesh
Md. Mamun Department of Earth Sciences, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas 75205, USA
Krishna Chandra Roy Department of Fisheries Management, Faculty of Fisheries, Hajee Mohammad Danesh Science and Technology University, Dinajpur 5200, Bangladesh
Md. Ashraful Alam Department of Fisheries Biology and Genetics, Faculty of Fisheries, Hajee Mohammad Danesh Science and Technology University, Dinajpur 5200, Bangladesh
Md. Rezoanul Haque Department of Fisheries Management, Faculty of Fisheries, Hajee Mohammad Danesh Science and Technology University, Dinajpur 5200, Bangladesh

DOI: https://doi.org/10.17017/j.fish.706

Keywords: Dhepa River, environmental variable, freshwater fish, plankton, prey

Abstract

This study investigates the environmental variability and gut contents of an indigenous fish chela (Salmophasia bacaila) in the Dhepa River, Bangladesh. We conducted fish sampling and measured water quality across three sites from September 2017 to February 2018. The results revealed significant fluctuations in water temperature, dissolved oxygen, and pH (PERMANOVA: p = 0.001). There was spatio-temporal variation in water transparency (PERMANOVA: p = 0.001). The prey analysis identified 13 prey groups in the diet of fish, predominantly consisting of phytoplankton (92.9%), while zooplankton contributed only 7.1%. Twenty phytoplankton and seven zooplankton genera were recorded in the guts, with significant temporal variations in prey diversity (PERMANOVA: p = 0.010). These findings highlight that S. bacaila are primarily plankton feeders, with shifts in prey diversity driven by environmental factors in the Dhepa River. This research enhances our understanding of ecological dynamics and the relationship between S. bacaila and their prey in riverine ecosystems.

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