FEEDING ECOLOGY OF BLACKWATER ANABANTOID AND CHANNOID FISHES OF NORTH SELANGOR PEAT SWAMP FOREST, PENINSULAR MALAYSIA

Abstract

13 species of anabantoid and channoid fishes were examined in terms of their diet. No seasonal variation of fish composition and prey could detected. The importance of each prey item found was ranked and the fish species were placed into five feeding guilds : the detritus feeders (T. leerii, T. trichopterus), the insectivorous/aquatic invertebrate feeders (B. livida, P. harveyi and S. osphromenoides), the terrestrial/aquatic invertebrates feeders (B. hipposideros, B. bellica, C. lucius) and the piscivore/large insect feeders (L. pulcher, C. bankanensis) and the insectorivorus/detritus/omnivorous feeders (T. vittata and B. hasselti). These groupings concurred with gut length to standard length ratios as well as results from the index of relative importance (IRI). It was found that there was competition (certain prey items, e.g. chironomid larvae, were commonly found in most species) and resource partitioning present particularly within each subguild and this is probably achieved by physical separation through the preference for specific microhabitats.