Feeding Ecology Of Freshwater Crab, Maydelliathelphusa Masoniana At Gho-Manhasan Stream, Jammu

Research Article
Kuldeep K. Sharma., Rakesh K. Gupta., Seema Langer and Priya Manhas
DOI: 
xxx-xxxxx-xxxx
Subject: 
science
KeyWords: 
crabs, stomach content, macroinvertebrates
Abstract: 

Crabs are never considered to be an important group in trophic webs, and this might be due to lack of knowledge about their trophic roles in aquatic ecosystem. The main objective of present study was to examine the feeding ecology of freshwater crab, M. masonina (Henderson) between April 2013 to March 2014. The diet composition and the feeding activity of M. masoniana were evaluated through the examination of the stomach contents and their degree of emptiness. The feeding ecology of crabs were categorised both sexwise as well as class wise. Among 134 different stomach examined, it was recorded that the crabs consumed several algae, insects larvae (chirnomous), earthworm, molluscs, crustaceans such as prawn, crabs and fishes. In adults and sub-adults, animal matter such as Chironomous larvae, earthworm and molluscs formed the dominant group while in smaller crabs plant matter and detritious constitute the dominant group. On the basis of gut content analysis, the trophic role of the organisms in the community is omnivorous and detritivorous.