Sains Malaysiana 46(6)(2017): 833–843

http://dx.doi.org/10.17576/jsm-2017-4606-01

Terrestrial Insects as the Main Food for Freshwater Fish in Sungai Kerian Tributaries: An Implication on Habitat Conservation

(Serangga Darat sebagai Makanan Utama untuk Ikan Air Tawar di Anak Sungai Kerian: Implikasi ke atas Pemuliharaan Habitat)

MOHD SHAFIQ ZAKEYUDDIN*, MANSOR MAT ISA, CHE SALMAH MD RAWI, AMIR SHAH RUDDIN MD SAH & ABU HASSAN AHMAD

School of Biological Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800 Penang, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia

Received: 26 January 2016/Accepted: 30 December 2016

ABSTRACT

The importance of terrestrial insects as food items for freshwater fish was studied by examining stomach contents of Devario regina (Fowler 1934) and its population parameters at canopied areas of selected tributaries of Kerian River, in the northern state of Peninsular Malaysia. Ninety six percent (121 out of 126) of the fish stomachs examined contained food materials in the stomachs and the values of percentage of occurrence (%F), percentage numerical (%N) and percentage points (%P) indicated that collected fish ate similar food items in all rivers. Among the food categories, scavenging terrestrial ants (Formicidae) were the most dominant food item, hence the main diet for this species. The Index of Relative Importance (IRI) scores of food items indicated that ants were higher than other food items. This surface water feeder experienced a positive allometric growth (W = aLb) with a b (rate of growth) value of 3.256. Its asymptotic length, growth constant and growth performance index represented this species with a short life-span (L∞ = 10.90 cm, K = 1.20 year-1, φ’ = 2.15, tmax = 3 year, respectively) and had higher natural mortality (M = 2.40 year-1) than fishing mortality (F = 0.35 year-1) while the fish stock was underexploited (E = 0.13). The finding of this study indicated the importance of terrestrial ants as a food source that support excellent growth of D. regina and the need to conserve riparian trees along river banks to provide allocthonous materials and habitats for the ants.

Keywords: Devario regina; growth parameters; stomach content; Sungai Kerian

ABSTRAK

Kepentingan serangga darat sebagai bahan makanan bagi ikan air tawar telah dikaji dengan menentukan kandungan perut ikanDevario regina (Fowler 1934) dan parameter populasi di kawasan berkanopi di anak-anak sungai terpilih Sungai Kerian, di utara Semenanjung Malaysia. Sembilan puluh enam peratus (121 daripada 126) jumlah perut ikan yang dikaji mengandungi bahan makanan di dalam perut dan nilai peratus kekerapan (%F), peratus bilangan (%N) dan peratus markah (%P) menandakan bahawa ikan tersebut makan makanan yang sama di semua sungai yang terpilih. Dalam kategori makanan, pengumpul makanan semut darat (Formicidae) adalah bahan makanan yang dominan, justeru merupakan diet utama bagi spesies ini. Tumbuh-tumbuhan menyumbang 6.49 kepada 10.92% IRI untuk menjelaskan bahawaD. regina dikategorikan sebagai ikan omnivor. Ikan yang makan di permukaan air ini mengalami pertumbuhan alometrik positif (W = aLb) dengan nilai b (kadar pertumbuhan) iaitu 3.256. Panjang infiniti, pertumbuhan malar dan indeks prestasi pertumbuhan ikan ini menandakan ia mempunyai jangka hayat yang pendek (L∞ = 10.90 cm, K = 1.20 tahun-1, φ’ = 2.15, tmax = 3 tahun) dan kadar kematian semula jadi yang tinggi (M = 2.40 tahun-1) berbanding kematian tangkapan (F = 0.35 tahun-1) manakala stok ikan ini masih belum dieksploitasi (E = 0.13). Penemuan kajian ini menunjukkan kepentingan semut di darat sebagai sumber makanan yang membantu pertumbuhan cemerlangD. regina dan keperluan untuk memelihara pokok-pokok riparian sepanjang tebing-tebing sungai untuk membekalkan bahan-bahan alloktonus dan tempat tinggal bagi semut.

Kata kunci: Devario regina; kandungan perut; parameter pertumbuhan; Sungai Kerian

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*Corresponding author; email: shafiqzakeyuddin@gmail.com