STOMACH CONTENT AND TROPIDC LEVEL POSITION OF TWO BAMBOO SHARK SPECIES CHILOSCYLUUMINDICUM AND C HASSELTil (HEMISCYLLDDAE) FROM SOUTH EASTERN WATERS OF PENINSULAR MALAYSIA

Abstract

A study was carried out to identify the food commonly taken and justify the trophic level positions of two bamboo shark species; the Chiloscyllium indicum and C. hasseltii. Bamboo shark samples were collected from the south-eastern waters of Peninsular Malaysia. The types of stomach content were determined and grouped according to their taxa. Intestine length (IL) for each of the individual shark was measured for Intestine Length Index (ILl). Shark diet was analyzed numerically, and using the information, the trophic level (TL) for each species was estimated. The diet of these two shark species consisted of fishes, molusk and crustacea. The ILl obtained for the C. indicum and C. hasseltii were 0.09±0.02 and 0.12±0.02 and their trophic level (TL) were 3.2-4.5 and 2.5-4.5, respectively. These results suggest that both species ofhemiscylliid sharks in the area are carnivorous, and slightly below the apex predator category that is with TL value close or equal to 5.0.