A comparison of the gut contents of two Cardinal Fish, <i>Fowleria vaiulae</i> (Jordan & Seale 1906) and <i>Fowleria variegata</i> (Valenciennes 1832) in seagrass beds of Palompon, Leyte

Abstract

Seagrass ecosystems support much of the Philippines’ coastal marine resources with the presence of a rich diversity of species, including the economically important ones. Understanding the diet composition of fishes through gut content analysis is essential for selecting species for aquaculture. Specimens of <i>Fowleria vaiulae</i> and <i>Fowleria variegata</i> were obtained through a trawl survey in the seagrass beds of Palompon, Leyte from November 2011 to February 2012. A total of 291 guts were analysed in this study. Results showed diet composition of both species is mostly made up of benthic invertebrates. A high percentage of chyme was observed in both species (46-65%), suggesting the consumption of easily digested materials. Also for both <i>Fowleria</i> species, it was observed that smaller size classes consume a higher number of small preys while larger size classes feed on larger preys. Small invertebrates such as tanaids and amphipods were more abundant in the guts of <i>F. vaiulae</i> and large preys of shrimps and crabs dominate the diet of <i>F. variegata</i>. This difference may be due to food partitioning in co-occurring species to avoid competition.