Feeding habits of the Cichlid Chromidotilapia guntheri (Sauvage, 1882) in some hydrosystems of Ivory Coast

Abstract

The feeding habit of Chromidotilapia guntheri was investigated in seven hydrosystems of Ivory Coast. The contents of 156 non-empty stomachs were examined from specimens caught in the rivers Soumié, Eholié, Noé, Ehania and Banco, the Bea rill and the Kpoda lake. Diets composition, feeding strategy and trophic niche width were analyzed among hydrosystems. Stomach content analysis indicated that C. guntheri feeds preferentially on plants and insects debris and secondarily, it consumed insects’ larvae, nymphs and adults in all habitats. This species would be an omnivorous with a detritivorous tendency. As feeding strategy, it practices a generalist strategy even if some individuals displayed specialization intentions on insects at different stages of metamorphosis. Investigations on ontogenetic shift revealed that juveniles and adults of C. guntheri consume substantially the same types of prey with varying amounts depending on the size of the fish. However there is a significant decrease in the proportions of gastropods and oligochaetes ingested when growing.