Food and feeding of three Citharinus species in Lake Kainji, Nigeria

This paper provides information on the food and feeding habits of three Citharinus species in Lake Kainji. A total number of 2357 specimens made up of 1628 Citharinus citharus , 705 C. distichodoides and 24 C, latus were examined. The majority of the fish caught by gill-netting had empty stomachs unlike those caught by cast-netting and electrofishing. The main food items were planktonic and epipelic blue-green and green algae. All the three species had similar feeding habits and also fed on the same items; their food varied with the seasons. Citharinus spp. have high gut length/standard length ratios which are adaptations to the microphagous and planktivorous feeding habits.