The goal of this study is measure the food ingestion by M. roosevelti Eigenmann, 1915 emphasizing its feeding rhythmic. The observations were made between March 1994 to February 1995, in Jiqui Lake, Rio Grande do Norte State. The sample involved 1115 individuais, including 503 males and 613 females, collected in five waiting-net with length of 5.0 to 5.0 m and mesh of 2.0, 2.5 and 3.0 cm between opposites joins, that were exposed for 24 hours and reviewed each 6 hours. The food ingestion was predominant between 6:00 AM to 12:00 AM for males and between 6:00 PM to 12:00 PM for females. The condition factor showed lower values between 6:00 PM to 12:00 PM for males and between 12:00 PM to 6:00 AM for females. The mean level of repletion showed higher values between 12:00PM to 6:00PM for males and between 6:00 PM to 12:00 PM for the females. The higher levels of repletion index for males were observed between 12:00 AM and 12:00 PM for the females and between 6:00 PM to 12:00 PM for males. For this species, plankton constituents, specially algae, are its preferential food.
Metynnis roosevelti; fish; feeding rhythms; Jiqui Lake