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Background  The exotic fish  Poecilia reticulata  is promoted in the tropics as a biological control agent for aquatic pathogenic carriers, such as mosquitoes. Such control measures are often adopted blindly, ignoring the potential of native species and the adverse effects of introduced species. The present study was conducted to assess the diet composition of two species of fish, the native  Aplocheilus parvus  and exotic  P. reticulata , and to assess the availability of food items in their natural environment in four types of aquatic systems. Diet composition was estimated using 24 h gut contents analysis, in a clay quarry pit and a perennial reservoir for  A. parvus , and in a man-made canal and a second-order natural stream for  P. reticulata.  Food items in these environments were quantified by analyzing water samples collected every 2 h.    Results  The diet of  A. parvus  in the clay quarry pit and reservoir consisted of adult or larval stages of Insecta, Maxillopoda and Malacostraca. In both habitats,  A. parvus  selectively fed on insect parts and insect larvae. The diet of  P. reticulata  consisted of filamentous algae, diatoms and detritus. The diet of  A. parvus  showed active selection of insectivore food items against their low availability. In contrast, the diet of  P. reticulata  showed consumption of food items in accordance with their availability in the environment. The highest mean number of food items in the gut for  A. parvus  was recorded around mid-day in the clay quarry pit, but no peak feeding time was identified in the perennial reservoir. For  P. reticulata , peak feeding was recorded around mid-day in both the habitats.    Conclusion  Irrespective of the type of environment and rate of occurrence,  A. parvus  preferred insect and insect larvae, whereas  P. reticulata  consumed the most readily available food items. The active selection of insects by  A. parvus  suggests they may have value as a biological control agent.    Electronic supplementary material  The online version of this article (10.1186/s12898-018-0180-1) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

A comparison of the larvivorous habits of exotic Poecilia reticulata and native Aplocheilus parvus