Food and feeding habits of the Caspian Kutum, Rutilus frisii kutum (Cyprinidae) in Iranian waters of the Caspian Sea

Afraei-Bandpei M.A., Mashhor M., Abdolmaleki S., El-Sayed A.F.M.

Date de parution: septembre 2009
Volume: 33
Number: 3
Pagination: 193-198
Editeur: Société Française d'Ichtyologie
doi: https://doi.org/10.26028/cybium/2009-333-002
Résumé

The feeding habits of Caspian Kutum, Rutilus frisii kutum (Kamensky, 1901), in Iranian waters were investigated by examining the stomach contents of 251 fish collected monthly from the commercial catch from October 2006 to April 2007. Their diet consisted of different prey, bivalves representing the most important prey group (59%), and Cerastoderma lamarki the dominant prey species (57%). By their decreasing order of importance, the others prey were: cirripeds (21%), gastropods (13%), malacostraceans (3%), fish eggs (2%), amphipods (1%) and filamentous algae (1%). Based on the frequency of occurrence C. lamarki was the main prey (Fi = 74.3%). In November, the fish fed on a wider variety of food items than in the other months. The lowest feeding activity was recorded in January and April. The gastrosomatic index (GaSI) ranged from 3.5% to 8.1%. Analysis of monthly variations in stomachs fullness indicated that feeding intensity fluctuated throughout the year, with lowest value in April, during the peak of spawning period.

Mots-clés: Caspian Sea - Cyprinidae - Diet - Iran - Rutilus frisii kutum
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