Abstract: By the methods of growth measurement and feeding rhythm evaluation, this paper studied the feeding habits and growth characteristics of pond-cultured Coilia nasus fingerlings, aimed to provide basic biological data of C. nasus, and supply reference to the large-scale pond culture of the fish species. Our results showed that after 153 days growth, the C. nasus fingerlings had an average length from 12.41±2.21 cm to 21.25±2.08 cm, and gained an average body weight from 5.83±0.91 g to 40.58±12.98 g. The body length had a linear correlation with age (L=0.0558t+13.102, R²=0.97), and the body weight had an exponential correlation with age (W=6.5699e^0.0123t，R²=0.98) and a power function relationship with body length (W=0.0006L^3.5924). C. nasus fingerlings had an obvious diurnal feeding rhythm, with the peak from 4:00 am to 8:00 am, stopped feeding at noon, and feeding again from 16:00 pm. Cladoceran, copepod, macrobrachium nipponensis, and gobioidei were the appropriate feeding organisms for C. nasus fingerlings, but the appropriate diets varied with the growth stages of the fingerlings. The feeding quantity was highly correlated to the prey species and their availability.

Key words: Submerged macrophytes, Cycle of nutrients, Rehabilitation