International Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Studies
2017, Vol. 5, Issue 6, Part E
Feeding ecology of Mullus barbatus and Mullus surmuletus off the Egyptian mediterranean coast
Author(s): Hatem H Mahmoud, Reda M Fahim, Tark M Srour, Nagy El-Bermawi and Mohamed A Ibrahim
Abstract: The present work describes the feeding habits of the two-dominant species of family Mullidae; red mullet,
Mullus barbatus barbatus Linnaeus, 1758 and striped red mullet,
Mullus surmuletus Linnaeus, 1758 caught off the Egyptian Mediterranean coast throughout the period from January to December 2016. A total of 322 specimens of
M. barbatus and 289 of
M. surmuletus were investigated. The index of relative importance (IRI) indicated that Polychaeta was, for
M. barbatus, the most important food item in all seasons with an average of 26.86%, followed by Decapoda, Amphipoda and Mysidacea. While, in the case of
M. surmuletus, Mysidacea was the most preferred food item in all seasons with an average of 34.02%, then Amphipoda and Decapoda. According to the previous results, it can be inferred that the two Mullid species;
M. barbatus and
M. surmuletus from the Egyptian Mediterranean waters are specialist zooplanktivorous.
Pages: 321-325 | 1389 Views 271 DownloadsDownload Full Article: Click Here
How to cite this article:
Hatem H Mahmoud, Reda M Fahim, Tark M Srour, Nagy El-Bermawi, Mohamed A Ibrahim. Feeding ecology of Mullus barbatus and Mullus surmuletus off the Egyptian mediterranean coast. Int J Fish Aquat Stud 2017;5(6):321-325.