BIOLOGY OF FOOD AND FEEDING OF JUVENILE DICENTRARCHUS PUNCTATUS ( BLOCH, 1792) ALONG PORTSAID COAST ON THE MEDITTERRANEAN SEA, EGYPT

BIOLOGY OF FOOD AND FEEDING OF JUVENILE
DICENTRARCHUS PUNCTATUS ( BLOCH, 1792) ALONG PORTSAID COAST ON THE MEDITTERRANEAN SEA, EGYPT
ASHRAF I. AHMED
Marine Science Department , Faculty of Science, Suez Canal University, Ismailia, Egypt.
[email protected]
Keywords: Dicentrarchus punctatus, juveniles, biology, Port-Said, Egyptian Mediterranean.
ABSTRACT
A total of 909 specimens of Dicentrarcus punctatus were collected from by trawling
along Port-Said coasts. The juvenile of D. punctatus could stay at the nursery grounds
from June till December. The length-weight relationship, W = 0.082 L 3.0943 as well as the
condition factor of the juvenile fishes were studied. The correlation cofficient was very
high, which proves the well-being of the studied species. The juvenile of D. punctatus are
likly bottom feeders, they feed mainly on Mollusca together with Crustacea, as well as fish
eggs and fish parts. Intensity of feeding was quite high during summer and early autumn
which reflects high rate of feeding activity in this period o the year.