JIFSI 2020 52 (2): 164-172
http://dx.doi.org/10.47780/jifsi.52.2.2020.109947
Dynamics of temporal foraging and feeding index of Labeo rohita
(Hamilton, 1822) in East Kolkata wetlands, a Ramsar site
Avinash Kumar . Sudhir Kumar Das . Dibakar Bhakta
Received: 11 June 2020 / Accepted: 04 September 2020
 IFSI, Barrackpore, India, 2020
Abstract Temporal variations in the foraging and
feeding index of Labeo rohita collected from East
Kolkata wetlands were studied for one year. The gut
content analysis was carried out on 232 fish samples of
size ranging between 149 mm and 331 mm in total length.
The observations indicated that the fish diet comprised
of 19.2% Chlorophyceae, 10.2% Cyanophyceae, 10.4%
Bacillariophyceae, 7.7% flagellates, 2.7%
macro-vegetation, 9.2% rotifers, 4.9% copepods, 6.3%
cladocerans, 7.2% protozoans, 11.8% decayed organic
matter, 7.5% sand and mud and 0.8% miscellaneous
items. The feeding indices varied in different months
and were relatively higher during August and September
and lower during June and July. The forage ratio
indicated a preference towards phytoplanktons
(Chlorophyceae, Cyanophyceae, and Bacillariophyceae)
in large size fish and preference of zooplanktons in small
size fish.
Key words Labeo rohita; Food and feeding habits;
Forage ratio; Phytoplankton; Zooplankton
Introduction
Food is a significant factor in the ecology of fishes as it
is required for growth, reproduction, and locomotion.
Studies on food and feeding habits of fish are useful to
Avinash Kumar . Sudhir Kumar Das ( )
Department of Fisheries Resource Management, Faculty of
Fishery Sciences, WBUAFS, Chakgaria, Kolkata-700 094, West
Bengal, India
Dibakar Bhakta
ICAR-Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute, Barrackpore,
Kolkata-700 120, West Bengal, India
email: dassudhirkumar1@gmail.com
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RESEARCH PAPER
promote aqua-farming and fisheries of the species. Fish
usually spend a considerable amount of energy
searching for food items in an aquatic environment. The
analysis of gut contents provides an idea about food
consumption, feeding and assimilation rates,
metabolism, and even habitat segregation. Feeding
habits of fish help to know the inter-specific
relationship and the productivity of the water bodies
(Verma, 2013). Nutrition and feeding habits influence
the growth, reproduction, and health of the fishes and
their response to physiological and environmental
stressors (Lall and Tibbetts, 2009). Studies on the food
and feeding habits indicate the species niche in the
ecosystem, their food preferences, and food spectrum
overlaps (Padmakumar et al., 2009).
Understanding food and feeding habits of fish is useful
to analyse and promote management plans in various
aspects of fisheries. It is known that potential food
resources of fish consist of various items present in the
aquatic environment. Fishes have been known to feed
on a wide variety of items ranging from sand particles,
phytoplanktons, zooplanktons, leaves, roots,
crustaceans, insects, insect larvae, worms, fishes, etc.
(Yalcin et al., 2001; Shalloof and Khalifa, 2009; Omondi
et al., 2011). The amount of feed required in warm water
conditions is higher than that in cold water because of
reduced digestion and metabolism of cold blooded
animal at lower temperatures (Skelton, 1993; Gamal et
al., 2005).
In general, the feeding intensity varies with seasons,
availability of preferred food items, maturity stages, and
feeding intensity decreases during the spawning
season compared to the non-spawning period
Feeding of Labeo rohita in East Kolkata wetlands
(Chakraborty et al., 2017; Khngngain et al., 2017; Sarkar
et al., 2017; Bhakta et al., 2019; Borah et al., 2020). The
analysis of the stomach contents of fish could
provide information about the niche of a particular fish
in its ecosystem and this has become a standard
practice in fish ecology works (Hyslop, 1980). The gut
content analysis gives an overall reflection about the
type of food material available to the animals in the food
chain and ultimately it is a representation of food in the
ecosystem (Babare et al., 2013). The study of the diet
based upon analysis of stomach contents is now
standard practice in fish ecology but surprisingly little
literature exists upon the range of methods that may be
employed.
Labeo rohita, commonly called ‘rohu,’ is an important
freshwater fish species cultured in Asia, particularly in
the Indian subcontinent. L. rohita culture contributes
to about 35% of the total Indian major carp production
(FAO, 2001). It is a natural inhabitant of freshwater
areas of the rivers. In recent years a comprehensive work
on biology and food and feeding habits of certain fishes
has been carried out from West Bengal water bodies
(Dey et al., 2016; Chakraborty et al., 2017; Khngngain et
al., 2017; Sarkar et al., 2017). There is a need for regular
bio-monitoring on biology and foraging of fish due to
climate change (Vahneichong et al., 2017). There is a
gap in such studies on L. rohita occurring in various
wetlands of the South 24 Parganas district of West
Bengal (Kumar et al., 2019). So, the present work can be
useful in this context.
Material and methods
The gut content analysis was carried out on
232 numbers of Labeo rohita with the size ranging from
149 mm to 331 mm in total length. Fishes were caught by
dragnet from the Bheri and immediately preserved in ice
to prevent further digestion of food items. Fishes were
transported to the laboratory where dissection was done
and foreguts were collected and preserved immediately
in a jar containing 10% buffered formalin. Food items
were identified up to the genus level and quantified.
Keys used for the identification of planktonic food items
were those of Edmondson (1959) and APHA (1998). Diet
composition was calculated using the formula:
Where, N = Number of a specific food item in the gut, P
= Total number of the specific food item observed in ten
fields and C = Volume in ml of the sample in the Petri
dish.
165
The intensity of feeding was determined by the degree
of fullness of the stomach, which was grouped into dif-
ferent categories such as full, ¾ full, ½ full, ¼ full, and
empty by eye estimation (Pillay, 1952). The wet weight
of the stomach contents was also measured by using an
analytical balance to the nearest 0.01 mg
Most fishes have a scale of preference for the
organisms in their environment. A quantitative index of
such differences called the forage ratio was calculated
by using the formula:
Results and discussion
General diet composition
Labeo rohita samples with a total length of 149 - 331 mm
were used for the gut content analysis. Month-wise food
items found in the gut contents of L. rohita is presented
in Fig. 1. Food constituents were mainly of two types,
viz., food matter at the recognizable stage, and food
matter at an advanced stage of digestion rendering
individual recognition impossible. The food matters for
which recognition was impossible were grouped as
decayed organic matter. The other food constituents in
the gut of the fishes were plant matters including
various groups of phytoplanktons and macro-
vegetations, animal matters including various groups of
zooplanktons, insects, and nektons as well as sand and
mud with several unidentified items grouped under the
miscellaneous group. The major food items present in
the gut of L. rohita were algae and phytoplankton,
zooplankton, decayed organic matter, mud, and other
miscellaneous items.
Plant matters and phytoplankton
The plant matter found in the gut of the fishes were
green algae like Chlorophyceae and Desmids,
Bacillariophyceae (Diatoms), Cyanophyceae (Blue-green
algae), filamentous algae, and parts of macro-vegetation.
The plant matters altogether comprised about 50.2% of
the total diet of the fish throughout the study. The
Chlorophyceae was the main food item in the gut
comprising about 19.2%, followed by Bacillariophyceae
(10.4%), Cyanophyceae (10.2%), and flagellates (7.7%).
Chlorophyceae
Chlorophyceae were the most dominant plankton group
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present in the diet of L. rohita, representing an average
of 19.2% of the gut contents. The average percentage
composition of various food items in the gut of L. rohita
is represented in Fig. 2. Its contribution to the total diet
was found to be maximum in April (25.4%) and minimum
in December (15.4%). During the monsoon months the
values varied from 21.6% in July to 18.5% in September.
During summer it varied from 25.4% in April to 21.3% in
June. During the winter season, the values fluctuated
from 15.4% in December to 25.4% in April. The genera
encountered under this group were Volvox,
Ankistrosdesmus, Closterium, Euglena, Phacus, and
Chlamydomonas.
Bacillariophyceae
This phytoplankton group was the second dominant taxa
in the gut of L. rohita with an average percentage
composition of 10.4% (Fig. 2). During summer the
percentage contribution of the diatoms varied from 8.6%
in April to 10.5% in June. It ranged from 8.3% in August
to 15.3% in July during monsoon season. In winter, it
varied from 7.7% in January to 12.6% in December. The
genera encountered under this group were Navicula,
Diatoma, Cyclotella, and Synedra.
Cyanophyceae
The Cyanophyceae represented considerable amounts
(10.2%) in the total gut contents of L. rohita (Fig. 2). In
winter the percentage composition fluctuated from 8.3%
in December to 11.3% in November. In summer, it varied
from 8.7% in May to 13.6% in April. It ranged from 9.5%
in September to 11.3% in August. The main genera
encountered were Anabaena, Oscillatoria, Microcystis,
Nostoc, and Spirulina.
Flagellates
The flagellates comprised of Spirogyra, Ulothrix,
Zygena, and Oedogonium and contributed about 7.7%
to the total diet of the fish (Fig. 2). It varied from 3.8% in
July to 8.7% in September during the monsoon, 8.3% in
December to 9.6% in January, and 4.5% in April to 7.9%
in May.
Animal matters and zooplankton
The animal matters found in the gut of the L. rohita were
comprised of zooplankton, some other unidentified items,
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Kumar et al.
and larger invertebrates. The rotifers were the most
dominant sub-group present in the gut (9.2%), followed
by Protozoans (7.2%), Cladoceran (6.3%), and
Copepods (4.9 %) (Fig. 2).
The zooplanktons were an important
component of the diet of the L. rohita accounting for
about 27.6% of the total diet during the period of study.
The groups encountered in the gut were Rotifera,
Copepoda, Cladocera, and Protozoa.
Rotifers
The rotifers were the most dominant among the various
zooplanktonic food items in the gut and comprised about
9.2% of the total food of the L. rohita. The average
monthly composition of the group is represented mainly
by the genera Brachionus, Keratella, and Rotaria and
varied from 4.7% to 11.9% in monsoon, 8.2% to 10.4% in
winter and 8.1% to 11.5% in summer seasons.
Protozoans
The protozoans were represented mainly by the genera
Amoeba, Trinema, and Paramecium and were the
second dominant zooplankton group in the gut (Fig. 2).
It was found to contribute about 7.2% to the total gut
contents during the entire period of study. It fluctuated
from 3.5% to 7.4% in monsoon, 5.8% to 11.5% in winter
and 5.9% to 8.4% during summer period, respectively.
Cladocerans
The cladoceran Daphnia, Cenodaphnia, and Moina
comprised about 6.3% of the total gut contents (Fig. 2)
and ranged from 4.2% to 8.3% in monsoon, 5.8% to 8.3%
in winter, and 4.7% to 9.4% during the summer season.
Copepoda
The monthly variations in the percentage composition
of the copepods to the total diet in the gut are
elucidated in Fig. 2. It contributed around 4.9% of the
total diet throughout the study. It was varied from 3.1%
to 7.7% monsoon, 3.7% to 7.2% in winter, and 2.5% to
5.6% during the summer season, respectively. The group
was represented mainly by genera Cyclops, Diaptomus,
and Cypris.
Decayed organic matters
It included decayed plant matter, detritus, and other
matter in varying state of decomposition. The
Feeding of Labeo rohita in East Kolkata wetlands 167

Fig. 1 Month-wise percentage composition of various food items of L. rohita

Fig. 2 Average percentage composition of various food items in the gut of L. rohita

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semi- decayed plant matters which were not in the state
of recognition and artificial feeds which were being
provided as an input to the Bheri were grouped under
the decayed organic matter. It accounted for about 11.5%
± 1.0 in an average of the total gut content. It varied
from 11.5% to 13.2 % during monsoon, 10.6% to 13.7%
during winter, and 9.9% to 13.1% during the summer
period, respectively.
Sand and Mud
The percentage composition of sand and mud to the
total guts contents ranged from a minimum of 4.5% in
April to a maximum of 9.5% in May and August with an
average value of 7.5±1.5%. The value varied from 6.8%
to 9.5% during monsoon, 6.2 to 8.5% during winter, and
4.5% to 9.5% during the summer season, respectively.
Length-wise variations in food and feeding habits
Diet composition of L. rohita was analyzed in four length
groups. The number of samples was 10, 92, 83, and 75 in
categories of I, II, III, and IV, respectively. The grouping
was made for convenience of interpretation as category
I (100 to <150 mm), category II (150 to <200 mm), cat-
egory III (200 to <250 mm), and category IV (250 to <300
mm). Similar food items were encountered in all of the
size groups in varying quantities. The variations in the
diet composition in various length groups are elucidated
in Fig. 3. In all the size groups the Chlorophyceae was
the dominant food item with values ranging from 15.4%
in the 100-150 mm group to 16.6% in the 200-250 mm size
group. Bacillariophyceae was the second dominant
group contributing 8.5% in 100-150 mm group to 18.3%
in 250-300 mm group. Animal matter like zooplanktons
and others contributed relatively more in the gut of the
100-150 mm size group. It decreased with an increase in
the size of fish from 36.4% in the smallest length group
to 19.0% in the 250-300 mm length group. The decayed
organic matter was minimum in 100-150 mm group (8.1%)
and maximum in 200-250 mm group (13.5 %). The per-
centage composition of sand and mud were ranged from
a minimum of 5.8% in the 250-300 mm group to 8.5% in
the 200-250 mm size. The percentage composition of the
miscellaneous food items sporadically.
Feeding intensity
The month-wise variation in the feeding index is
depicted in Fig. 4. Fishes feeding actively (stomach
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Kumar et al.
content more than ½ full) were observed during August
and September, while fishes with empty stomach were
found in June and July. The occurrence of full, 3/4th full,
½ full. ¼ full and empty stomachs during the study pe-
riod are presented in Fig. 4. The feeding intensity exhib-
ited considerable variations during the period of study.
It was relatively low in June (10.83%) and July (10.00%)
and maximum during September (20.00%).
The qualitative and quantitative analysis of food items
of L. rohita revealed that the fish mainly feeds on plant
matters (about 50.2%) and animal matters (27.6%) indi-
cating herbi-omnivore feeding habit. According to Das
and Moitra (1963) as well as Basudha and Viswanath
(1999) the herbi-omnivore fishes feed on a wide variety
of food items although the fish mainly feed on plants
matter. Sarang et al. (2009) classified Labeo calbasu from
Jawahar Sagar and Kota Barrage of Rajasthan as
illiophagic as the diet of the fish predominantly con-
sisted of phytoplanktons or detritus, whereas
zooplanktons were the second choice as the food item.
Shakir et al. (2014) reported that L. rohita from Ravi
(Pakistan) river mainly feeds on phytoplankton and zoop-
lankton.
According to Alikunhi (1952), zooplankton, particularly
entomostracan crustaceans and rotifers, appear to con-
stitute the “main food” of the carp fry, while planktonic
algae can only be considered as “emergency food”. In
the gut of 100-150 mm length fishes, the phytoplankton
and plant matter occurred about 46.7% of the total diet
and an increasing trend was observed as the fish grows.
It accounted for 60.7% in the gut content of 250-300 mm
size fishes. The gut analysis of the L. rohita measuring
from 100-150 mm, 150-200 mm, 200-250 mm, and 250-300
mm have shown an increasing trend of occurrence of
phytoplankton, indicating an ontogenic change in the
diet of fish.
The decayed organic matter has little deviations during
the study period. Shobana and Nair (1980) reported that
monthly variations in feeding intensity and dietary com-
position of fishes are influenced not only by the matu-
ration of gonads but also due to the availability of food
in the habitat. Nikolsky (1963) noted that the shift in
diet occurs according to developmental changes in the
pharyngeal dentition of carps. In the present study, there
were not much variations of decayed organic matter with
Feeding of Labeo rohita in East Kolkata wetlands 169

Fig. 3 Length-wise percentage composition of various food items of L. rohita

Fig. 4 Month-wise percentage of feeding intensity of L. rohita

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Fig. 5 Length class-wise forage ratio of various planktonic groups in the gut of L. rohita
the size of fish. The higher amount of decayed organic
matter might be due to differential digestion in fish.
The occurrence of mud and sand in the gut in minor
quantities was noticed throughout the year with a little
variation. Its higher level can be attributed to lower
water levels during the summer season. The monthly
occurrence of sand cannot be attributed to any
particular factor as it is consumed along with other food
items. Thomson (1966) proposed that the function of
sediments is to act as a grinding mill in the degradation
of the plant cell wall. Marais (1980) reported that a larger
amount of sand particles probably assisted in
mechanical breaking up of the diatoms in the
gizzard-like stomach in Liza dumerili.
Forage ratio or Index of selection
The Index of a selection of various planktonic food items
by different size fishes was calculated and presented in
Fig. 5. Cyanophyceae was the least selected organisms
among phytoplankton with values ranging from 0.417
in 100-150 mm length group to 0.436 in the 250-300 mm
length group. Flagellates were the most selected group
among phytoplanktons with a value of 1.842 in 100-150
mm length group and 2.348 in 250-300 mm length group,
followed by Bacillariophyceae, Chlorophyceae, and
Cyanophyceae. Among zooplankton genera, Rotifera
had the highest value irrespective of the size of the fish,
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Kumar et al.
indicating relatively higher preference followed by
Cladocera, Protozoa and Copepoda. The value
decreased with an increase in the size of fish. It was
4.137 in 100-150 mm size group and 1.332 in 250-300 mm
size group.
Forage ratio indicates the percentage occurrence of food
items in the foregut of fishes compared to the environ-
ment. It was observed that there were not many varia-
tions in algae (Chlorophyceae, Cyanophceae, and
Bacillariophyceae) in the gut in all the size groups of L.
rohita. It indicated all sizes of fish preferred algae more
compared to other food items. However, it was found
that zooplankton was preferred less in higher size fishes.
Selection of Rotifer decrease with an increase in the size
of fish. However, there was no definite trend of varia-
tion in the case of others. The calorific value of an indi-
vidual food item and its cost of capture influence the
food selection by the fish. The fish may prefer to feed
on those organisms for which the cost of capture is
comparatively less than other items of the same
calorific value (Strauss, 1979; 1982; Robotham, 1982).
There was a significant difference (F8, 24 = 9.824, P<0.05)
in the forage ratio of different items of the gut content.
The present study indicated that the smaller fish
preferably select phytoplanktonic organisms. The
detection of phytoplankton depends on the size of the
fish, gill racker’s structure, pharyngeal teeth’s shape,
Feeding of Labeo rohita in East Kolkata wetlands 171

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