ANBAR JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES

Abstract

This study was carried out in a Euphrates river at Al-Musayab city-Babylon during the period from 2/1/2014 to 31/12/2014. 184 specimens of Bar bus xanthopterus (Heckel,1843) with lengths ranged between 15-40 cm and ages 2-5years were collected and divided to two length groups , the first 89fish 15-20 cm, while the second 95 fish 21-40 cm. The results showed that in the first group, the food animal origin formed 41.10% of gut contents and the food plant origin formed 48.79%, while in the second group it appeared that the food animal origin formed 51.33% while the food plant origin formed 44.93% according to Importance Ranking Index (%IRI). The results appeared that high feeding intensity was observed during spring 31.32 and 33.89 for both length groups respectively. Fish, in the first group, were found to be more active in winter 89.47% while in the second group, fish were more active in spring with ratio reached 96.66%, while the least active recorded in autumn 79.31% and 84% for both two groups respectively. As conclusion, the results indicated that the natural feeding was varied according to the seasons ,and the fish may described as omnivorous tended to plant feeding in small lengths, while it tended to animal feeding in large lengths in all year seasons together.