Understanding feeding competition under laboratory conditions: Rohu (Labeo rohita) versus Amazon sailfin catfish (Pterygoplichthys spp.)

• Published in: Behavioural processes Vol. 218; p. 105029
• Main Authors: Mallick, Suman, Sundaray, Jitendra Kumar, Ghosal, Ratna
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 01.05.2024
• Subjects: Animals; Behavior, Animal - physiology; Catfishes - physiology; Competition; Competitive Behavior - physiology; Cyprinidae - physiology; Feeding; Feeding Behavior - physiology; Fingerling; Freeze; Introduced Species; Rohu; Sailfin catfish; Species Specificity; Competition; Sailfin catfish; Fingerling; Rohu; Freeze; Feeding
• ISSN: 0376-6357; 1872-8308
• DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2024.105029

Competitive interactions between species is widely prevalent within the animal world. In this manuscript, we attempted to understand feeding competitions between the Amazon sailfin catfish, an invasive species introduced globally, and rohu, a keystone species native to several countries within southeast Asia. We used two different size classes of each species, large-size having total length (TL, from snout tip to caudal fin) of 15–20 cm and fingerling having TL<6 cm, and feeding duration was used as a proxy to understand competition. Our results demonstrated that feeding durations of large-size rohu were either similar or significantly (P<0.05) higher in presence of catfish when compared to trials in presence of conspecifics, indicating that large-size rohu is not a weak competitor. However, feeding durations of fingerling rohu was significantly (P<0.05) reduced in presence of both large-size and fingerling catfish, when compared to trials in presence of conspecifics. Moreover, fingerling rohu also displayed freeze (alarm) behavior in presence of the catfish. Interestingly, presence of rohu had no significant (P>0.05) impact on feeding durations of catfish. Overall, the study demonstrated that invasive catfish may behaviorally outcompete fingerling rohu, thus, threatening the sustenance of a species that is native to several freshwaters around the globe. [Display omitted] •Feeding behavior of Amazon sailfin catfish was associated with aggression.•Large-size rohu was not a weak competitor in presence of large-size catfish.•Fingerling rohu was outcompeted by both large-size and fingerling catfish.•Fingerling rohu displayed freeze behavior only in presence of catfish.