The food and feeding habits of Eutropius niloticus (Ruppell), family Schilbeidae (Osteichthyes: Siluriformes) in Lake Kainji,Nigeria

Studies on the food and feeding habits of Eutropius niloticus in Lake Kainji, Nigeria revealed that the fish is omnivorous but fed more on insects than on any other food. The most important insects were Povilla adusta Navas nymphs and imagos and adults of the common grasshoppers. Fish, particularly the clupeids Sierrathrissa leonensis Thys Van den Audernaerde and Pellonula afzeliusi Johnels, also formed an important part of the diet. There was seasonal variation of organisms selected for food and there were variations in the dietary items selected by different age groups. Accumulation of fat was found to correlate with seasonal feeding intensity. E. niloticus serves as food for other fishes.