Feeding habits and behaviour of Bagre bagre and Genidens barbus, two ariid catfishes (Pisces: Siluriformes) from southeastern Brazil

Abstract

The feeding habits and behaviour of adult specimens of Bagre bagre (Linnaeus, 1766) and Genidens barbus (Lacepède, 1803), both targets of commercial fisheries in coastal southeastern Brazil, were evaluated through stomach content analysis. These catfish are generalistic benthophagous feeders and daytime consumers, and the analysis points to fish and crustaceans as their primary prey. The fish Trichiurus lepturus and the shrimp Xiphopenaeus kroyeri were the main prey species, indicating that both catfish species prey upon the most abundant resources available in the study area.

Keywords

• ariidae
• coastal fisheries
• stomach contents
• tropical waters