Feeding habits of the deep-sea shrimp Plesionika quasigrandis Chace, 1985 (Decapoda: Caridea: Pandalidae) in the southeastern Arabian Sea

Species of Plesionika holds significant importance in the commercial harvesting of deep-sea shrimps along the southern coasts of India. Despite Plesionika quasigrandis being a crucial resource on the southwest coast of India, there is a need for comprehensive information on its food and feeding habits. We investigated the diet of P. quasigrandis in relation to sex, size, and season. The species exhibited a diet primarily consisting of crustaceans, foraminiferans, and detritus. Both males and females showed a noteworthy reliance on detritus, as indicated by an index of preponderance values exceeding 45.8. The species displayed active scavenging behaviour alongside predatory dietary habits. We observed a decrease in feeding intensity from pre-monsoon to post-monsoon in both males and females. Permutational multivariate analysis of variance (PERMANOVA) revealed significant differences in the diets of P. quasigrandis, considering the combined effects of size and sex (P < 0.01). No significant distinctions were noted in the diet composition between males and females in relation to season.