FOOD AND FEEDING HABITS OF SCOLIODON LATICAUDUS ALONG MANGALORE AND MALPE COAST OF KARNATAKA.

The spadenose shark Scoliodon laticaudus Muller & Henle (1838), one of the smallest tropical Carcharhinid sharks is locally known as “balyar/ neer thate/chaate” in coastal area of Karnataka coast. The study deals with nature and composition of food items, feeding habits, intensity of feeding of S. laticaudus. Analysis of the gut content in both sexes showed that, fish remains and unidentified and semi-digested matter formed the major food items. Lesser sardines, anchovy, Saurida sp, Nemipturus sp., sardine, Priacanthus sp, Terapon sp, croackers, shrimps, Sepia sp, stomatopods, Loligo sp and molluscan remains also occurred in considerable quantity. The contribution of gut content shows approximately 3.6% lesser sardines, 5.08% Anchovies, 3.05% Saurida sp, 3.16% Nemipturus sp, 3.04% Sardine, 2.91% Priacanthus sp, 2.39% Terapon sp, 1.5% crockers, 28.49% fish remains, 4.47% Loligo sp, 2.25% shrimp, 1.39% Sepia sp, 3.23% molluscan remains, 1.80% stomatopods and unidentified and semi-digested matter 33.62% during the period 2015-16. The gut content consists of approximately 3.05% lesser sardines, 4.28 % Anchovies, 3.35 % Saurida sp, 2.51% Nemipturus sp., 5.43% Sardine, 3.45% Priacanthus sp., 2.65 % Terapon sp., 2.07 % croackers, 19.29% Fish remains, 3.19% Loligo sp., 2.95% shrimp, 2.54 % Sepia sp, 3.12 % molluscan remains, 1.27% stomatopods and 40.85% Unidentified and semi-digested matter during 2016- 17. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]