Food and Feeding Habits of the Whipfin Silver Biddy Gerres filamentosus From Sharavati Estuary, Central West Coast of India

Some aspects of Food and Feeding Habits of Gerres filamentosus from Sharavati estuary , Central West Coast of India are discussed .The study on food and feeding habits indicates that the crustaceans (prawns)form the main food of G.filamentosus. Other food items identified are sponges, coelenterates, Polychaetes, Bivalves, Gastropods, plant materials, sand particles etc,. The present study revealed that the G. filamentosus is a omnivorous and bottom feeder. Majority of fishes in the size range of 51-110mm. appeared to have fed very actively. There was decline in the feeding intensity of size group 111-180mm.Above this group the feeding activity gradually increased only to fall again in size group 250-270mm.The sequence of feeding intensity can be correlated with the reproductive biology of the fish ,in that the intensity of feeding declined in the months of July August and September. This period of decline in feeding activity ( July to Sept.) coincides with the spawning period of the species.