Nuengruetai Yoknoi, Nittharatana Paphavasit, Jes Kettratad and Prasert Tongnunui

DOI: 10.14456/sjst-psu.2019.35

pp. 276 - 284

Abstract

This study clearly demonstrates that Terapon jarbua and Pelates quadrilineatus showed obvious food partitioning by
their dietary ontogenetic changes. The larvae of both species fed mainly on the calanoid copepods. Juveniles of T. jarbua shifted
to feed mainly on harpacticoid copepods, crabs and fish scales. Juveniles of P. quadrilineatus shifted to fed mainly on
harpacticoid copepods and Lucifer spp. Adult fish shifted to fed on larger prey size. AdultT. jarbua fed mainly on fish and fish
scales while adult of P. quadrilineatus fed mainly on large benthic animals, amphipods, bivalves, hermit crabs and polychaetes.
The study on morphology and feeding structure development indicated that, the development of mouth, jaw, teeth, gill raker and
intestinal length were important ontogeneticchange in the diet of fish. The ontogenetic change in the diet was the important
strategies to reduce competition between these two coexisting species in coastal area of Trang Province.

Keywords

• food partitioning
• ontogenetic dietary shift
• Pelates quadrilineatus
• Pelates quadrilineatus
• Trang Province