Preliminary study on dietary composition, feeding activity and fullness index of Boleophthalmus boddarti in Mekong delta, Vietnam

Abstract

The mudskipper Boleophthalmus boddarti (Pallas, 1770) is an important commercial fish, but information on its dietary composition has been limited. This study was carried out from March 2013 to February 2014, in Tran De, Soc Trang, Mekong Delta, Vietnam to understand its food, foraging intensity and fullness index. A total of 120 fish specimens including 63 females (8-15 cm in TL) and 57 males (9.5-15.1 cm in TL) were collected and analysed. The results showed that the sex ratio of B. boddarti was close to 1:1 and this mudskipper would be a herbivorous fish due to high relative gut length value (RGL>1) based on 120 gastrointestinal tract length analysis. Among them, 75 fish stomachs were used for food item determination. The B. boddarti fed mainly on Bacillariophyta (82.97%), and detritus was also composed in its stomach contents (13.26%). The mudskipper showed high in foraging intensity due to high fullness index value. The variation of food composition of this fish depended on season, but not in gender and fish size. The results provided useful information on diet composition of B. boddarti and contributed to our knowledge for other gobies living in the monsoonal regions.

Diet Composition and Feeding Strategy of Butis koilomatodon Inhabiting the Estuarine Regions in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam

“…The same result is found in the round goby Neogobius melanostomus considered as predator, but it is the prey for zander (Sander lucioperca), the main predator in European brackish waters (Hempel et al, 2016). Further examples, Periophthalmus barbarus (Udo, 2002a, b;Chukwu and Deekae, 2013), Periophthalmus argentilineatus (Kruitwagen et al, 2007), Periophthalmodon schlosseri (Zulkifli et al, 2012;Tran et al, 2019), Boleophthalmus boddarti (Ravi, 2013;Dinh, 2015) and Parapocryptes. serperaster (Dinh et al, 2017b), Eleotris melanosoma (Dinh et al, 2017a), Glossogobius aureus (Nguyen and Tran, 2018), Periophthalmodon septemradiatus (Dinh, 2018;Dinh et al, 2018bDinh et al, , 2020c, Glossgoboius sparsipapillus (Tran et al, 2021a, b), Glossogobius giuris (Phan et al, 2021) are classified both as a carnivorous and a prey.…”

“…The stomach content of B. boddarti in Pichavaram mangroves, southeast coast of India is fish eggs and nematodes (Ravi, 2013). Contrary, these items are not detected in the guts of this species in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam (Dinh, 2015).…”

Diet Composition and Feeding Strategy of Gobiid Fishes in Pabean Bay, Indramayu

“…Temuan senada juga ditemukan di perairan Australia bahwa ikan beloso termasuk ikan krustasivora dengan menu makanan dominan udang (Pusey et al 2004). Ikan bogo (A. dominan udang (Pusey et al 2004) (Quang 2015). Wilis (2012) mencatat bahwa ikan blodok memiliki makanan utama berupa Pleurosigma, Nitzschia, dan Skeletonema.…”

Foraging ecology of the amphibious mudskipper Periophthalmus chrysospilos (Gobiiformes: Gobiidae)

“…There are forty-three species of mudskippers, with varying sensitivities to aerial exposure and foraging behaviour ( Jaafar & Murdy, 2017 ). Some species, such as those from the genus Boleophthalmus , are less tolerant to desiccation, stay close to the waterline, and graze the substrate surface for diatoms ( Ravi, 2013 ; Dinh, 2015 ). Others, such as species of Periophthalmodon , are carnivorous and are known to traverse upriver to areas unaffected by tidal cycles ( Dinh, 2018a , 2018b ; Dinh, Tran & Nguyen, 2018 ; Dinh et al, 2020b ).…”