Food preferences of four haplochromine cichlids from Mwanza Gulf in lake Victoria

The research aimed at investigating the food preferences of Haploahromism obliquidens, H. sauvagei, H. riponianus and Platytaeniodus degeni from Mwanza gulf in lake Victoria. In this study a total of 1,067 specimen caught by gillnets and beach seines were analysed. It was found out detritus that H. obliquidens mostly feeds on diatoms and algae, when H. sauvagei feeds mainly on gastropod snails particularly on the Species of Bellamya and Melanoides. H. riponiarus was found to feed mostly on chironomid larvae and sometimes on detritus during the dry season when the ohironomid larval population declines. P.degeni preferred to feed on detritus, molluscs and diatoms. The bottom composition over which the fishes were caught, seemed to influence the feeding of these fishes. This was particularly so, for H. sauvagei and H, ripomanus whose chief sources of food come from the bottom. Seasonal fluctuations of the bottom fauna and phytoplankton in the gulf area, seemed to influence the feeding of these fishes such that in plentiful supply of these items, the fishes respond by feeding intensively. During the times of scarcity, the stomachs have been found to have little food. Besides food availability, breeding has also been found to influence the feeding of the fishes. There has been little or no feeding at all for the fishes involved in breeding. Problems arising from the project and suggestions for areas of further research are identified in the summary.