Prliminary assessment of the feeding ecology of silver catfish (Schilbe intermedius, Ruppel, 1832) in a seasonal floodplain of the Okavango delta
View/ Open
Date
2005Author
Mosepele, K.
Mosepele, B.
Williams, L.
Publisher
Botswana SocietyType
Published ArticleMetadata
Show full item recordAbstract
This study investigates the feeding ecology of Schilbe intermedius across its entire life history. Data were collected using experimental fishing nets in two habitats in a seasonal floodplain.
The results showed that S. intermedius has an ontogenetic shift in feeding behaviour where the
young fish are primarily generalist predators, feeding on aquatic invertebrates while the older fish are more specialised predators feeding primarily on fish. This study showed that there is a
higher potential for intra-specific competition among the older fish than in the younger size
classes. However, it was recognized that this study is a snap-shot of the feeding ecology of S. intermedius and that a longer time series study is needed to study its feeding ecology.
Collections
- Research articles (ORI) [267]