Food habits of four fish species from Eastern Drain-Balad North Baghdad

Abstract

Four fish namely ( Carassius auratus, Barbus luteus, Liza abu and Cyprinus carpio) were collected from Eastern Drain / resulting from the convergence of gravel quarries ground, which drainage water are the main sources of water in there quaries, to use either study or investigate their natural food fromApril 2009 to March 2010. Ommit food items include, aquatic plants fragments and their seeds, organic matter , in organic sediments, algae, mollusca, diatoms, insects, crustaceans, worms and unidentified matter. Organic matter was found to be very important in the food of C. auratus 37.81%, B.luteus 27.13%, and C. carpio 39.6%, of food content, while whey was L. abu, the in organic sediment was the main food item Accounted for35.20%, of food content. Significant difference fromstations were found in the percentage of food items fo C. auratus, B.luteus, C. carpio. The highest Feeding intensity (points/fish) for C. auratus, , B.luteus, L. abu, and C. carpio were 12.69, 13.24, 18 and 15 respectively encountered duringJune, May, April and June respectively .feeding activities were found to differ among sampling periods.

Keywords

fish species, Balad