FEEDING HABITS OF SOLDIER CROAKER Dendrophysa russelii (Cuvier, 1829) DISTRIBUTED IN COASTAL AREAS OF THE MEKONG DELTA, VIETNAM

This study researched the feeding habits of soldier croaker Dendrophysa russelii (Cuvier,1829) distributed in coastal areas of the Mekong Delta from May to December, 2021. Fish samples were randomly collected in different sizes by trawl-net. Fish stomachs were fixed in a 4% formalin solution to prevent contents in the  stomach from being digested. The results showed that soldier croaker had a small mouth, the teeth on the jaw were short and pointed with no canine tooth, the gill rakers were sparse, the stomach was pouch-shaped, the caeca have 4-8 tubes, and the intestine was short. Relative between gut length and body length (RLG) < 1 indicated that soldier croaker is a carnivorous fish. The food spectrum of immature fish was narrower thanthat of mature fish. However, the feed ingredient was shrimp which always accounts for the highestpercentage in the two fish size groups, followed by fish and other foods that accounted for a low proportion.