Food and feeding habits of the African catfish Clarias gariepinus (Burchell, 1822) (Pisces: Clariidae) in the newly built Ribb Reservoir, north-west Ethiopia

Amare Dessie; Minwyelet Mingist; Dagnew Mequanent; Degsera Aemro

doi:10.21077/ijf.2024.71.2.134268-05

Authors

Amare Dessie
Minwyelet Mingist
Dagnew Mequanent
Degsera Aemro https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0073-4111

https://doi.org/10.21077/ijf.2024.71.2.134268-05

Keywords:

Diet composition, Dietary shift, Ribb Reservoir, Volumetric contribution

Abstract

The feeding habits of the African catfish Clarias gariepinus (Burchell, 1822) were studied in the newly constructed Ribb Reservoir in Ethiopia during the dry season (January-March) and wet season (June-August) of 2021. Out of 295 fish samples collected, 202 (68.4%) contained food in the gut. Zooplankton (24.4%), detritus (22.8%), macrophytes (16.2%), phytoplankton (14.8%) and insects (11.8%) were the main diets of C. gariepinus. Zooplankton (46.2%) and phytoplankton (31.1%) were predominant in the diet during the dry season, but during the wet season, detritus (42%), macrophytes (29.7%) and insects (29.5%) were the predominant food items. The frequency of occurrence and the volumetric contribution of diet items varied significantly (p<0.05) between seasons. Schoener’s Diet Overlap Index showed a slight ontogenetic shift in the diet of C. gariepinus between different size classes. Insects and nematodes were the main diets of smaller-size classes, while plankton, detritus and macrophytes were dominant in the higher-size classes. In general, C. gariepinus feeds on both plant and animal food and is considered omnivorous in the reservoir.

Keywords: Diet composition, Dietary shift, Ribb Reservoir, Volumetric contribution

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