Food and Feeding Habits of the Common Carp (<i>Cyprinus carpio</i> L. 1758) (Pisces: Cyprinidae) in Lake Koka, Ethiopia

Abstract

Feeding habits of Cyprinus carpio was studied in Lake Koka, Ethiopia, in April and May (dry months) and July and August (wet months), 2011. The objective of the study was to identify the diet composition, seasonal variation in diet and ontogenetic dietary shift. Gut contents of 435 fish were analyzed using frequency of occurrence and volumetric analysis. In frequency of occurrence method the number of gut samples was expressed as a percentage of all non-empty stomachs examined while in volumetric method the volume of each food category was expressed as a percentage of the total volume of the gut contents. Detritus, insects and macrophytes were the dominant food categories occurring in 97.0%, 85.2% and 53.3% of the guts and comprising 39.8%, 36.4% and 12.4% of the total volume of food items, respectively. The remaining food categories were of low importance in the diet. The frequency of occurrence and volumetric contributions of the different food categories of C. carpio significantly varied (U-test, p<0.05) during the dry and wet seasons. During the dry season, insects and detritus were important food categories, occurring in 94.4% and 98.6 of the guts and comprising 42.3% and 36.1% of the total volume of food, respectively. During the wet season, detritus was the most important food category. It occurred in 93.9% of the guts and accounted for 48.8% of the total volume of food. Insects and macrophytes were also important during the wet season, occurring in 68.2% and 74.3% of the guts and comprising 23.6% and 22.6% of the total volume of food, respectively. The contributions of animal origin food categories were important in the diet of juveniles whereas, food of plant origin were more important in the diet of adults. However, there were no significant variations in the diet of individuals in the different size classes. Based on the results, it was concluded that C. carpio was omnivorous in its feeding habits in Lake Koka with considerable seasonal variation but insignificant onto genetic change in its diet.

Trophic relationships among fourteen native and non-native fish species in the Shatt Al-Arab River, Iraq

“…O. aureus fed mainly on macrophytes, algae and diatoms, whereas C. zillii consumed mainly macrophytes and algae. These research findings are similar to the previous study on O. aureus conducted by Dadebo et al [43] in Lake Koka, Ethiopia, Khalifa [59] in the Tigris river, Iraq and Mohamed and Al-Wan [60] in the Garmat Ali river. Also, the previous studies stated that the C. zillii was herbivores, such as Wahab [34] in Tigris river, Iraq, Onyeche et al [61] in the Anwai stream, Niger, Dadebo et al [43] in Lake Koka, Ethiopia, Adams [62] in the Tiga dam, Nigeria and Mohamed and Al-Wan [60] in the Garmat Ali river.…”

“…Other studies mentioned that C. auratus was herbivorous species [33,37,38]. The omnivorous feeding habit for C. carpio has been observed by several authors, like Saud [31] in the Qarmat Ali River, Al-Shamma'a et al [39] in the Haditha Dam, Saikia and Das [40] in Indian lakes, Hussain et al [41] in southern marshes, Ali et al [42] in Hirfanli Dam, Turkey, Mohamed and Hussain [37] in East Hammar marsh and Dadebo et al [43] in Lake Koka, Ethiopia. Some previous studies indicated that C. carpio was carnivorous species [44,45].…”

Diet overlap of non‐native common carp and native Nile tilapia: A potential cause for population reduction of Nile tilapia stock in Lake Ziway, Ethiopia

“…In nearby Lake Koka, Dadebo et al. (2015) have reported that macrophytes and detritus are the main diets of common carp. However, there was no study on food and feeding habits of common carp and also a dietary overlap of common carp and Nile tilapia in Lake Ziway.…”

Accumulation of heavy metals in the physical and biological systems of Lake Koka, Ethiopia: Implications for potential health risks

“…Aquaculture, the lake supports the fishing industry each year with 625 tons of fish harvest, while Nile tilapia contributes about 59% of the total fish landings (Dadebo, Eyayu, Sorsa, & Tilahun, 2015).…”