Food and Feeding Habits Of Freshwater Silurd Catfish Ompokpabda(Hamilton-Buchanan, 1822) From Indus River, Jamshoro, Sindh, Pakistan.

Ompokpabda is a freshwater catfish, used to occur naturally in streams, rivers, lakes, ponds, canals and inundated fields. The present study was carried out for the period of six months from February 2015 to July 2015 and about 261 specimens (88 male fish and 173 female fish) were collected. Fish samples were collected from River Indus with the help of local fishermen and were cleaned, preserved in 5-10% formalin according to the size. The food of Ompokpabda contained fish meat, semi digested fish meat, fish spines and crustaceans. During the present study it was observed that fish meat was the main feed of Ompokpabda. Maximum food availability and consumption was in the month of February 2015, while as minimum food availability and consumption was observed in the month of April 2015. The fish spines were low in June and July months and the reason may be increased level of water due to rainfall in these months and washout of food spines by water currents. This study therefore presents the first reference on food and feeding habits of Silurd Catfish Ompokpabda from Indus River Jamshoro, Sindh, Pakistan.