Feeding Ecology of Selected Indigenous Small Fishes (ISFs) vis-a-vis Dietary Composition and Feeding Habit

Feeding ecology is a broad study encompassing quantification and identification of food items, microbial, chemical, and enzymatic conditions of the fish stomach, morphological adaptations to suit its feeding habit, and foraging strategies for acquiring food items. Understanding the dietary composition of fish has several advantages to culture and fisheries management aspects. This chapter discusses commonly used methods for food and feeding habits, dietary composition, and other aspects of the feeding ecology of selected Small Indigenous fish species (ISFs), i.e., Amblypharyngodon mola, Labeo bata, Puntius sarana, Gudusia chapra, Mystus cavasius, Channa punctatus, Anabus testudineus, Trichogaster fasciata, Nandus nandus and Macrognathus aral. This chapter also discusses the loopholes in the feeding ecology of ISFs. This chapter will serve as an important source of combined information on the food and feeding habits of ISFs.