Dietary assessment of tadpoles of selected rhacophorid frogs (Polypedates, Rhacophorus, Zhangixalus) (Amphibia: Anura: Rhacophoridae) of Kangchup, Manipur, India
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.9930.18.5.28830-28837Keywords:
Diet, dietary flexibility, ephemeral pools, feeding ecology, gut analyses, herbivory, microalgae, niche overlap, niche width, zooplanktonAbstract
Tadpoles are an abundant and diverse component of many freshwater ecosystems, yet little is known about their trophic status and feeding ecology compared to many other consumer groups. This study used gut content analysis to examine the diet patterns of four rhacophorid tadpole species (Polypedates mutus, P. braueri, Rhacophorus bipunctatus, and Zhangixalus burmanus) collected from ephemeral pools in Manipur, India. The food spectrum of tadpoles included mostly phytoplankton (diatoms, desmids, algae), followed by zooplankton (crustaceans, rotifers, insects). It was observed that Phormidium and Surirella were the primary sources of food for P. mutus, whereas Navicula and Netrium were consumed in large quantities by the other three species. Members of the class Bacillariophyceae (Melosira sp., Navicula sp., Synedra sp.) and Zygnematophyceae (Netrium sp.) were consistently present in the gut of all the tadpoles examined. These findings suggest that Netrium sp. and Navicula sp. represent key dietary components within the ecological niche occupied by the species, highlighting their significant role in the trophic dynamics of the habitat. Trophic niche width and overlap were also analysed between the species. Important insights into the ecological dynamics and conservation of tropical amphibian populations and communities can be acquired from studying the diet of amphibian tadpoles.
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