Feeding Overlap among Co-existing Indigenous and Exotic Fish Species from the Freshwater Ecosystems of Pakistan
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.63147/krjs.v4i4.122Keywords:
Freshwater fish species, Feeding niche overlap, Native and exotic ichthyofauna, Schoener Index, Aquaculture promotionAbstract
An imminent threat to indigenous freshwater ichthyofauna is the introduction of exotic fish species that can alter the behaviour, population dynamics, and community structure of local fish populations. Understanding the feeding behaviour is necessary to prevent ecological degradation. At the head Qadirabad (River Chenab), feeding habits of both native (Labeo calbasu, Cirrhinus mrigala, Catla catla and Labeo rohita) and exotic (Hypophthalmichthys nobilis, Hypophthalmichthys molitrix, Ctenopharyngodon Idella, Cyprinus carpio, Carassius auratus, and Oreochromis niloticus) species of fish were investigated from January to December 2019. A total of 36 mature fish specimens were used to investigate the feeding habits by gut content analysis. Results indicated that Labeo rohita, Ctenophyaryngodon idella and Oreochromis niloticus were herbivorous, while Labeo calbasu, Cirrhinus mrigala, Hypophthalmichthys nobilis and Cyprinus carpio were detritivores. Catla catla and Hypophthalmichthys molitrix behaved as planktivorous, whereas Carassius auratus were omnivorous fish species. Significant feeding overlap (Schoener's Index Value: 0.60-0.99) has been observed among coexisting native and exotic species. The current study presents astonishing results, showing that the Hypophthalmichthys nobilis diet was altered to become a detritivorous feeder, which may represent a leading step towards divergent evolution. Present data will help to investigate trophic niche overlap based on stable isotope analysis and further molecular studies. Amendment in the feeding behaviour of exotic fish is a strategy for becoming successful invaders, which aligns with the observations of the current study.
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