Food and feeding habits of the short-jaw anchovy, Thrissina baelama (Forskal), of the Andaman sea

Abstract

Like many other anchovies T. baelama feeds mostly on large zooplanktonic organisms. Euphausiids were the most important item of food supplemented by copepods, megalopae, prawns and amphipods. These major items in the diet of the fish did not differ significantly from year to year although the relative importance of particular item may vary slightly between diflferent months. The smaller fish appeared to prefer smaller organisms like veligers, zoeae, Oithona, Pseudodiaptomus etc. while the adults preferred euphausiids, megalopae, prawns, amphipods and fish larvae. The variations in the composition of the gut contents and feeding intensity are discussed in relation to environmental biota, size-groups and maturity of the fish.