Journal of Aquaculture Research & Development

Abstract

Food and Feeding Habits of Red Lionfish Pterois volitans from Cuddalore Coast, South East Coast of India

Priyadharsini S, Subramaniyan A, Manoharan J and Varadharajan D

The living water jewels have an attractive colored for example a body color, morphology, mode of taking food and have a peculiar characteristic. A number of aquarium fishes the Pterois sp is known to aquarists, while it is easy to breed and very important and interesting tasks of an aquarium keeper is to feed management. Food is playing an important role in maintaining health and preventing diseases. Providing exact diet is essential for fish growth and other activities. Overfeeding or uneaten food contributes to a deteriorating water quality by polluting the water. Some fishes in wild or culturing system are not taken regularly same food and it will be varying due to the inhabitants. The red firefish P. volitans is one of the remarkable fish in marine waters. In the present study, the food and feeding habits of lionfish P.volitans, male and female fishes were observed and due to fishes gut contents were analysis. The different food items were recorded from the guts of P. volitans during the study period. Generally, the food items found in the examined gut contents were grouped into eleven different categories. The male fish of P. volitans stomach contents as identified feed compositions in the following order: viz., Crustaceans >Fish >Zooplankton >Phytoplankton >Miscellaneous >Bivalves >Polychaetes >Gastropods >sand >Nematodes >Digested matter and the female fish of P. volitans stomach contents as identified feed compositions in the following order viz., Crustaceans >Fish >Zooplankton >Phytoplankton >Miscellaneous >Bivalves >Polychaetes >Gastropods >Sand >Nematodes >Digested matter, respectively. The present investigation very much useful for this species to be taken up for aquariums in home or office, hotel, hospital, intensive, semi intensive and mass scale culture practices in anywhere in the world.