Feeding habits of yellowfin seabream, Acanthopagrus latus in the northern region of the Persian Gulf

Feeding habits of yellowfin seabream, Acanthopagrus latus was investigated in coastal waters of the Northern Persian Gulf. This investigation was conducted by monthly sampling of thirty fish from September ۲۰۱۱ through August ۲۰۱۲. Fish size ranged from ۱۷.۹۸ ± ۲.۰۷ to ۳۲.۳۱ ± ۶.۵۲ cm in total length and from ۱۳۴.۰۱ ± ۴۵.۶۲ to ۷۲۰.۴۶ ± ۲۹۲.۵۸ g in weight. The highest value of gastro-somatic index was obtained in September (۵.۲۲ ± ۰.۰۴) and the lowest in December (۱.۶۱ ± ۰.۰۳) with annual average of ۲.۵۰ ± ۰.۶۰. The result of gastro-somatic index revealed that the highest feeding activity of A. latus was during autumn. The highest level of vacuity index was observed in summer (۳۴.۹۵ ± ۴.۷۱) and the lowest in autumn (۲۵.۸۸ ± ۲.۷۱) indicating that the highest number of empty stomachs was in summer. Annual average of vacuity index was ۳۰.۱۴ ± ۵.۷۲ exhibiting that A. latus was comparatively gluttonous in the Northern Persian Gulf. Bivalves and shrimps were the major food items found in the stomach of A. latus showing food preference indices of ۴۵.۸۶% and ۳۰.۶۷%, respectively. Other food items included crabs (۱۲.۶۶%), aquatic plants (۴.۰۵%), animal derivatives (۴.۵۲%) and gastropods (۲.۲۳%). According to the results, animal derivatives, aquatic plants and gastropods were eaten accidentally and were not the food items of A. latus in coastal waters of Hormozgan. The average relative length of gut was ۱.۴۱ ± ۰.۱۵ showing that A. latus was omnivorous in this region.

کلیدواژه ها:

Acanthopagrus latus ، Feeding habits ، Gastro-somatic index ، Persian Gulf