IJSTR >> Volume 3- Issue 11, November 2014 Edition

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AUTHOR(S)

Ng'wala James Jihulya

KEYWORDS

Keywords: Detritus, Caridina nilotica, Haplochromis spp, Stomach contents, Lates niloticus, Orechromis niloticus, Phytoplanktons.

ABSTRACT

Abstract: Diet and feeding ecology of O. niloticus and L. niloticus in Rubondo Island National Park (RINP) an area protected from fishing and Kome Island (KI) an area unprotected from fishing activities in Lake Victoria were compared. Important food items of O. niloticus and L. niloticus both in RINP and KI areas did not differ. Main food items of O. niloticus were detritus, remains of water hyacinth and phytoplanktons. Phytoplanktons in O. niloticus stomachs were from five classes of Cynanophyceae, Basillariophyceae, Chrolophyceae, Dinophyceae and Euglenophyceae. Class Cyanophyceae had the highest number of occurrences than any of the phytoplankton observed in the stomachs of O. niloticus. The percentages of occurrences were 65.96, 24.2, 9.61, 0.01 and 0.01 for Cyanophyta, Chlophyta, Diatom, Euglenophyta and Dinophyta respectively. High indices of relative importance (IRI%) of haplchromine fishes in L. niloticus stomachs in both areas show that L. niloticus has returned to its original food of haplochromine fishes as it was during its upsurge in Lake Victoria. The indices of relative importance (IRI %) of haplochromine fishes for L. niloticus in KI and RINP areas were 95.3% and 87.3% for KI and RINP areas respectively. The second important prey was Caridina nilotica with indices of relative importance of 1.2% and 12.7% for KI and RINP areas respectively. Insects were important food of juvenile L. niloticus. Cannibalism of L. niloticus occurred in both areas.

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