Diet and Feeding Habits of a Small Catfish, Clarias Liocephalus in Wetlands of Western Uganda
Abstract
198 words
Clarias liocephalus is an air-breathing catfish inhabiting
wetlands of Uganda and widely distributed in East Africa. The
species is in high demand for sale as live bait in the Nile perch
fishery of Lake Victoria and equally important in the diet of the
local community in the lake basin. The extensive and intensive
wetland loss in the Lake Victoria basin and beyond and the
increasing fishing pressure on its fishery are potential threats
to the resilience of C. liocephalus. There is however, little
information on the ecology of this species to permit evaluation
of habitat threats. This study quantified dietary characteristics
of C. liocephalus by analyzing 492 stomach samples collected
monthly for one year from four wetlands in Western Uganda.
Results show C. liocephalus as a generalist feeder whose
diet was dominated by aquatic dipteran larvae and plant material.
There was significant size differences (P<0.01) between the
heavily and lightly fished wetland sites. The broad niche, gives
C. liocephalus an ecological advantage to forage effectively
on a wide selection of prey. The significant presence of plant
material shows that the species may utilize plant protein and
this is an important clue if the species was selected for
aquaculture.
Subjects
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