Food and Feeding Habits of Mystus cavasius (Hamilton, 1822), a Bagrid Freshwater Catfish from River Burhi Gandak of Bihar, India

Mystus cavasius (Hamilton, 1822) is a popular food fish found in freshwater habitats. This study assessed diet composition, feeding intensity and Gastro-somatic index (GaSI) analysis of economically important Bagrid catfish, M. cavasius collected from six sampling locations in Burhi Gandak River from October 2020 to July 2021. A total of 286 fish specimens were examined of this species and the percentage of occurrence shows that gastropods were the most preferred food items. The result of the gut content analysis revealed that fish have carnivorous diet habits and consume various types of food present in the river. The Gastro-somatic index was recorded maximum in February and minimum in June. The result of the study will be useful for the culture, conservation, management and sustainable utilization of this species.