Feeding Biology Analysis as a Preliminary Step for the Cultivation of Mystus Gulio (Hamilton-Buchanan)

The success of effort to introduce and cultivate a species as a part of conservation will depend on quantitative information about the food and feeding of that species. Fishes, Mystus gulio (Hamilton-Buchanan) were collected from Vattakkayal, a part of Ashtamudi Lake, Kollam district, South India during the period February 2014 to January 2015. Examination of gut contents analysis revealed that this fish feed on a variety food items. Food items could be assorted into nine categories namely crustaceans, insects, oligochaetes, protozoans, eggs, algae, diatoms, fishes, detritus and miscellaneous. Crustaceans (36 %) were the most predominant dietary item recorded from the stomach of the fish round the year. It is followed by insects (16.60 %), oligochaetes (10.36 %), detritus (11.14 %)), Eggs (10.11 %), Protozoans (5.46 %)), Diatoms (5.06 %)) fishes (4.65 %) and algae (4.25 %) are occurred in minor quantities. This helps to determine cultivation of desirable species combinations in culture system with minimum interspecies competition for the natural food. It also provides vital clues in developing supplementary feed for the species. Hence it is able to conserve these endangered fish in artificial methods by providing these food items.