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International Journal of Marine Science 2013, Vol.3, No.12, 98-104
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103
Figure 4 Study area, Pichavaram mangroves, India
and points methods as reviewed and modified by
Hyslop (1980). By using points method, the points
such as 100, 80, 60, 40, 20 and 10 were allotted to the
gut contents with due consideration to the size of the
organisms as well as their abundance. The points
gained by each food items from all the stomachs
examined were summed up and expressed as
percentage of total number of points.
In the present study gut contents of the
B. boddarti
was found to be the diatoms and they were identified
up to the genera and species level by following the
atlas of diatoms (Desikachary, 1986; 1987; 1988).
Variations in the gut contents in relation to different
seasons and size groups of the mudskipper
B. boddarti
were analyzed separately for a period of one year.
3.3 Feeding intensity
The stomachs were considered gorged when the
stomach was found expanded fully with packed food,
thin walled and transparent; full when the stomach
was packed with food with thick wall and intact; ¾ full
when it was partly full with thick wall; ½ full; ¼ full
and trace, according to the relative condition of the
stomach as indicated above. The empty stomach were
either found in contracted state or loosely expanded
and appeared full but empty. The later was considered
regurgitated stomachs. The feeding intensity based on
the degree of fullness of stomach of the fish was
determined (Sahabur Hussain and Ramaiyan. 1984;
Ravi and Sekar, 2012). The stomach was allotted with
points from 0 to 100 in accordance with its fullness
(0= empty; 10=trace; 20=¼ full; 40=½ full; 60=¾ full;
80=full; and 100=gorged). The percentage frequencies
of empty, trace, ¼ full, ½ full; ¾ full; full; and gorged
stomachs were calculated from the total number of
fishes examined in each month, and for the sake of
convenience, gorged, full and ¾ full stomachs were
clubbed together and designated as actively fed. Under
moderately fed and poorly fed heading were included
½ full and ¼ full and trace stomach respectively.
Acknowledgements
The author is grateful to the Director & Dean, Faculty of Marine Sciences &
authorities of Annamalai University for the facilities and to the Ministry of
Environment & Forests, New Delhi for the financial support.
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