Food and feeding habits of fishes from trawl catchesin the Bay of Bengal with observations on diurnalvariation in the nature of the feed

Abstract

The magnitude of fish stocks in a region is a function of its food potentialities. Food is an important factor in the biology of fishes to the extent of governing their growth, fecundity and migratory movements. Variations in the seasonal and diurnal abundance of the favourite food organisms of different species of fish, in any region, may influence respectively the horizontal and vertical movements of the fish stocks. Hence, a correct knowledge of the relationship between the fishes and food organisms is essential for the prediction and exploitation of the fish stocks. An objective study of these relationships should be properly integrated in the orientation of a commercially exploited fishery, taking into account the diversity of the component species constituting the total fishery of the region.