Preferred food items of Juvenile hilsa (Tenualosa ilisha) of the Meghna river estuary in Moju Chowdhury Hat, Lakshmipur

Monthly and size group-wise variation of feeding preference of juvenile hilsa was studied in the Meghna estuary, Lakshmipur from July to December, 2022. The specimens were dissected and gut contents were analysed by frequency of occurrence (FOC%), volumetric analysis (V%), relative gut length (RLG) and index of relative importance (IRI%) method. Fishes (n=120) were divided into 5 different size groups i.e. below 5 g, 5-10 g, 10-15 g, 15-20 g and 20-25 g. There were 26 genera of phytoplankton and 16 genera of zooplankton were recorded. According to FOC%, V% and IRI%, copepod and diatoms were found the major food constitutes in all the five size groups. Major bacillariophyceae genera were recorded Coscinodiscus sp., Synedra sp. and Rhizosolenia sp., and followed by copepoda ( Calanus sp. and Pseudodiaptomus sp.). Based on the FOC% and V% we found sand particles as a constituent in the gut of hilsa (early age) was noticed but from IRI% value, it was observed that sand was only engulfed by hilsa with food particles during bottom feeding but not a preferred food item.