Food
and feeding habits of Omobranchus sp. (Blenniidae: Omobranchini)
larvae in the Seagrass-Mangrove ecosystem of Johor Strait, Malaysia
Roushon
Ara1, Aziz Arshad1*, S.M. Nurul Amin1 and
Mazlan Abd Ghaffar2, 3
1Laboratory of
Fisheries Biology and Aquatic Ecology, Department of Aquaculture, Faculty of
Agriculture, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia
2School of
Fisheries and Aquaculture Sciences, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, 21030
Kuala Terengganu,
Terengganu Darul
Iman, Malaysia
3Marine ecosystem
research center,? Faculty of Science and Technology, University Kebangsaan
Malaysia, 43600 Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia
*Corresponding
Author E-mail: azizar.upm@gmail.com
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Publication
Data
Paper received:
05 May 2015
Revised received:
10 July 2015
Accepted:
09 April 2016
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Abstract
The
stomach contents of Omobranchus sp. (family Blenniidae) larvae were
investigated in a seagrass-mangrove based ecosystem in Johor Strait, Malaysia
from October 2007 to September 2008. Specimens of larval fish were collected
through subsurface towing of a Bongo net from five different stations. The
stomach sacs of 267 Omobranchus sp. larvae were separated and
observed, which comprised of 24 significant food stuffs belonging to 6 main
groups viz. phytoplankton (62.45%), zooplankton (18.24%), algae (5.56%),
plant-like particles (5.75%), debris (4.22%) and unidentified particles
(2.03%). In situ water parameters were also measured throughout the sampling
cruises. There was a strong and significant positive correlation between
stomach phytoplankton and salinity (r = 0.658, p < 0.05).? Canonical correlation
analysis indicated a weak relationship (29.8%) between stomach contents and
physico-chemical parameters. Only salinity appeared to be the controlling
factor for the stomach contents of Omobranchus sp. larvae in the
investigated area. Based on the stomach content analysis, it could be
concluded that Omobranchus sp. were mainly herbivorous during the
larval stages. ?
Key
words
Larvae,
Mangrove-seagrass ecosystem, Omobranchus sp., Stomach contents
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