Food habits of the mudskipper, Pseudapocryptes dentatus (Val.)

Abstract

The food habits of the mudskipper, Pseudapocryptrs dentatus (Val.) ranging from 43 to 205 mm in total length collected from the mudflats at Fao estuary, Iraq were studied. A combination of numerical, frequency occurrence and gravimetric methods was used to analysc the stomach contents, both qualitatively and quantitatively. The fish was found to be a strict herbivore and a frequent feeder. It fed solely on phytoplankton dominated by benthic forms. Diatoms were the most important food item in respect ofboth numerical and frequency occurrence methods comprising about 84% of the total number of phytoplankton organisms. The types of phytoplankton that contributed significantly to the diet were, in decreasing order of importance, Pleurosigma, Navicuh, Nitzschia, Synrdra, Closteriopsis and Oscillatoria. Larger fish had consumed lesser amount of food, and there was usually a gradual decrease in consumption with increase in size. The mudskipper consumed food ranging from 1-3 to 105% ofits body weight.

Food and feeding ecology of the MUDSKIPPER Periopthalmus koelreuteri (PALLAS) Gobiidae at Rumuolumeni Creek, Niger Delta, Nigeria

“…It is evident that the juveniles of P. koelreuteri are herbivore. This agrees with the work of (Sarker et al 1980;Sarker et al 2006) who described the mudskipper Pseudapocryptes dentatus as a strict herbivore with (diatoms) phytoplankton dominating the food items. It could be inferred from the foregoing that the food of the juvenile mudskipper tilted toward plant materials from both frequency of occurrence method and the points method which range from fragments of higher plants, to diatoms and algal filament at the Rumuolumeni creek of the Nigerian Niger delta region.…”

A review about fish walking on land

“…Their main order is Diatoms-Bacillariophyceae, green algae and blue-green algae. Levels in size and metabolism are inversely proportional (Sarker et al 1980). Both plants and animals were documented while studying the Periophthalmus barbarous stomach.…”

Amphibious fish: why do they leave water?

“…Periophthalmus cantonensis, Gordon et al, 1985b;P. koelreuteri, Sponder and Lauder, 1981; P. sobrinus, Stebbins and Kalk, 1961; Rivulus hartii (Cyprinnodontidae), Seghers, 1978), herbivorous (e.g. Alticus kirkii, (Blenniidae), Gordon et al, 1985a; Pseudapocryptes dentatus (Gobiidae), Sarker et al, 1980; Boleophthalmus boddarti, Clayton, 1985) and omnivorous (e.g. Gobionellus sagittula (Gobiidae), Todd 1976; Sicyases sanguineus, Paine and Palmer, 1978; Scartelaos viridis (Gobiidae), Clayton, 1985) species have been reported.…”