Question

Which one of the following fishes is a surface feeder?
A. Rohu
B. Mrigals
C. Common carps
D. Catlas

Answer 1

Fishes are limbless and cold-hearted vertebrates who use gills for respiration. The term surface feeder is related to fishes.

Complete Answer:
Surface feeder fish are those fish which have a straight back that helps their upturned mouth or supra terminal mouth to easily reach the surface and perfectly grab the food without being revealed to the prey. Let us analyse each given option to find out the correct answer.

Option A: Rohu fish or Labeo rohita is an omnivorous fish and is a column feeder. It opens its mouth chew and swallows the food found in the mid column.

Option B: Mrigala is a detritivorous fish that feeds on the dead plant, animals, and even feces and is a bottom feeder. The bottom feeder is an aquatic animal that feeds on or near the bottom of a body of water.

Option C: Common carp is a detritivorous and omnivorous fish and is a bottom feeder. The bottom feeder is an aquatic animal that feeds on or near the bottom of a body of water.

Option D: The Catla fish known as Catla catla eats phytoplanktons and is a surface feeder. These fishes are also called pelagic fish as they live in the pelagic zone of the water body. The pelagic zone is the largest aquatic environment on earth. Surface feeder fishes usually feed on other fishes, crustaceans, or microscopic planktons. Other examples of surface feeder fish include sardine, herring, bluefin tuna, and most sharks.

Hence the correct answer is option D.

Note: Some of the species of fish such as Catla, Rohu, Marigal, Silver Carp, Grass Carp, and Common Carp are also cultivated through induced breeding techniques.