Seasonal Variation in the Epibenthic Feeding Habits of Hilsa Shad (<i>Tenualosa ilisha</i>) in the Upper Meghna River Estuary, Bangladesh
Seasonal changes in feeding habits of hilsa (<i>Tenualosa ilisha</i>) were studied monthly in 2019 in the upper Meghna estuary, Bangladesh, through gut content analyses. Tychoplanktonic diatoms followed by copepods were abundant in all months and size groups of hilsa. The inverse relatio...
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| Format: | Article |
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MDPI AG
2023-06-01
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| Series: | Fishes |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2410-3888/8/7/335 |
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| author | Md. Jahangir Sarker Pallab Kumer Sarker Lawrence B. Cahoon Afsana Kabir Dipty Md. Abul Bashar Md. Monjurul Hasan Yahia Mahmud Md. Milon Sarker |
| author_facet | Md. Jahangir Sarker Pallab Kumer Sarker Lawrence B. Cahoon Afsana Kabir Dipty Md. Abul Bashar Md. Monjurul Hasan Yahia Mahmud Md. Milon Sarker |
| author_sort | Md. Jahangir Sarker |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Seasonal changes in feeding habits of hilsa (<i>Tenualosa ilisha</i>) were studied monthly in 2019 in the upper Meghna estuary, Bangladesh, through gut content analyses. Tychoplanktonic diatoms followed by copepods were abundant in all months and size groups of hilsa. The inverse relationship between niche breadth and relative length of the gut revealed hilsa consume a variety of food at their early stages while their feeding habit changes towards diatoms during the adult stage with the development of gill rakers. Young hilsas prefer mostly tychoplanktonic diatoms (<i>Aulacoseira</i> sp., <i>Triceratium</i> sp., <i>Nitzschia</i> sp., <i>Synedra</i> sp., and <i>Coscinodiscus</i> sp.) and copepods (<i>Pseudodiaptomus</i> sp.). However, adult hilsas rejected <i>Aulacoseira</i> sp. during their spawning season. Ingested sand grains correlated with tychoplankton, revealing their food value from epipelic microalgae and bacteria clinging to them and epibenthic foraging by young hilsas. Thus, this study revealed that young hilsas primarily feed on tychoplanktonic diatoms and copepods from water and near bottom of the upper Meghna estuary during January to June while later stages with the development of gill rakers allow hilsas to feed on planktonic diatoms. Epibenthic feeding needs to be considered more fully in evaluating the biology of hilsa and, perhaps, other clupeids, and in evaluating possible human impacts on this foraging habitat. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T01:06:07Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-db1dc83d941d4e7c84373a1924ba4490 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2410-3888 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T01:06:07Z |
| publishDate | 2023-06-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Fishes |
| spelling | doaj.art-db1dc83d941d4e7c84373a1924ba44902023-11-18T19:17:52ZengMDPI AGFishes2410-38882023-06-018733510.3390/fishes8070335Seasonal Variation in the Epibenthic Feeding Habits of Hilsa Shad (<i>Tenualosa ilisha</i>) in the Upper Meghna River Estuary, BangladeshMd. Jahangir Sarker0Pallab Kumer Sarker1Lawrence B. Cahoon2Afsana Kabir Dipty3Md. Abul Bashar4Md. Monjurul Hasan5Yahia Mahmud6Md. Milon Sarker7Department of Fisheries and Marine Science, Noakhali Science and Technology University, Noakhali 3814, BangladeshEnvironmental Studies Department, University of California, Santacruz, CA 95064, USADepartment of Biology and Marine Biology, University of North Carolina, Wilmington, NC 28403, USADepartment of Fisheries and Marine Science, Noakhali Science and Technology University, Noakhali 3814, BangladeshBangladesh Fisheries Research Institute, Riverine Station, Chandpur 3602, BangladeshBangladesh Fisheries Research Institute, Riverine Station, Chandpur 3602, BangladeshBangladesh Fisheries Research Institute, Headquarter, Mymensingh 2201, BangladeshDepartment of Fisheries and Marine Science, Noakhali Science and Technology University, Noakhali 3814, BangladeshSeasonal changes in feeding habits of hilsa (<i>Tenualosa ilisha</i>) were studied monthly in 2019 in the upper Meghna estuary, Bangladesh, through gut content analyses. Tychoplanktonic diatoms followed by copepods were abundant in all months and size groups of hilsa. The inverse relationship between niche breadth and relative length of the gut revealed hilsa consume a variety of food at their early stages while their feeding habit changes towards diatoms during the adult stage with the development of gill rakers. Young hilsas prefer mostly tychoplanktonic diatoms (<i>Aulacoseira</i> sp., <i>Triceratium</i> sp., <i>Nitzschia</i> sp., <i>Synedra</i> sp., and <i>Coscinodiscus</i> sp.) and copepods (<i>Pseudodiaptomus</i> sp.). However, adult hilsas rejected <i>Aulacoseira</i> sp. during their spawning season. Ingested sand grains correlated with tychoplankton, revealing their food value from epipelic microalgae and bacteria clinging to them and epibenthic foraging by young hilsas. Thus, this study revealed that young hilsas primarily feed on tychoplanktonic diatoms and copepods from water and near bottom of the upper Meghna estuary during January to June while later stages with the development of gill rakers allow hilsas to feed on planktonic diatoms. Epibenthic feeding needs to be considered more fully in evaluating the biology of hilsa and, perhaps, other clupeids, and in evaluating possible human impacts on this foraging habitat.https://www.mdpi.com/2410-3888/8/7/335feeding modesfeeding plasticitytychoplanktonepibenthiczooplanktonhilsa shad |
| spellingShingle | Md. Jahangir Sarker Pallab Kumer Sarker Lawrence B. Cahoon Afsana Kabir Dipty Md. Abul Bashar Md. Monjurul Hasan Yahia Mahmud Md. Milon Sarker Seasonal Variation in the Epibenthic Feeding Habits of Hilsa Shad (<i>Tenualosa ilisha</i>) in the Upper Meghna River Estuary, Bangladesh Fishes feeding modes feeding plasticity tychoplankton epibenthic zooplankton hilsa shad |
| title | Seasonal Variation in the Epibenthic Feeding Habits of Hilsa Shad (<i>Tenualosa ilisha</i>) in the Upper Meghna River Estuary, Bangladesh |
| title_full | Seasonal Variation in the Epibenthic Feeding Habits of Hilsa Shad (<i>Tenualosa ilisha</i>) in the Upper Meghna River Estuary, Bangladesh |
| title_fullStr | Seasonal Variation in the Epibenthic Feeding Habits of Hilsa Shad (<i>Tenualosa ilisha</i>) in the Upper Meghna River Estuary, Bangladesh |
| title_full_unstemmed | Seasonal Variation in the Epibenthic Feeding Habits of Hilsa Shad (<i>Tenualosa ilisha</i>) in the Upper Meghna River Estuary, Bangladesh |
| title_short | Seasonal Variation in the Epibenthic Feeding Habits of Hilsa Shad (<i>Tenualosa ilisha</i>) in the Upper Meghna River Estuary, Bangladesh |
| title_sort | seasonal variation in the epibenthic feeding habits of hilsa shad i tenualosa ilisha i in the upper meghna river estuary bangladesh |
| topic | feeding modes feeding plasticity tychoplankton epibenthic zooplankton hilsa shad |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2410-3888/8/7/335 |
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