The Diet of Monodactylus Sebae (Cuvier, 1829) in Two Adjacent Lagoon Habitats Within the Aby-Tendo-Ehy Lagoon Complex (Côte d’Ivoire)

This study investigated the diet of the fish species Monodactylus sebae in two lagoons forming part of the Aby-Tendo-Ehy lagoon complex in south-eastern Côte d’Ivoire. The diet of Monodactylus sebae (Cuvier, 1829) was studied in the Aby-Tendo lagoon complex (Côte d’Ivoire). The fish were caught between October and December 2012. The mean intestinal coefficient (MIC = 1.08) allowed Monodactylus sebae to be classified as an omnivorous species. Analysis of stomach contents revealed a total of 19 items, including fish, insects, crustaceans, annelids, arachnids and plant debris. The relative importance index (% IRI) was used to categorise the prey: the overall diet consists primarily of Clupeidae (63.4 per cent); secondary prey is represented by Chironomidae larvae (14.4 per cent), whilst the other items (Cichlidae (2.6 per cent), Coenagriidae (4.2%), Elmidae larvae (2.6%), shrimps (2.5%) and annelids (0.1%)) are considered incidental prey. Significant variations in the diet were observed depending on sampling sites and size classes.