Research Information System
AQUACULTURE RESEARCH, vol.43, no.11, pp.1643-1650, 2012 (SCI-Expanded)
The compensatory growth response of the European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) that faced cycling starvation and restricted ration was assessed. Juveniles (10.5g) were stocked into 15 tanks at a density of 25 fish per tank. Five different feeding regimes were tested on triplicate groups of fish: CSatiation: control fed for 60days without deprivation, CRestricted: 25% restricted feeding, S-R: 1day starvation then 4days CRestricted feeding, R-F: 1day CRestricted feeding then 4days CSatiation feeding, and, finally, S-F: 1day starvation then 4days CSatiation feeding. The specific growth rate of fish in the CSatiation (2.5 +/- 0.06%day-1), S-F (2.5 +/- 0.11%day-1) and R-F (2.4 +/- 0.18%day-1) were significantly higher than that of CRestricted (2.2 +/- 0.05%day-1) or S-R (2.0 +/- 0.01%day-1). Fish in S-F group were able to achieve catching up with the CSatiation. There was no significant difference in feed conversion rates but R-F and S-F consumed approximately 34% more feed than CSatiation following the first re-feeding day. Although, the highest lipid content was observed in CSatiation (14.4%), S-R (33.3% dry matter) had the highest water content compared with the CSatiation and CRestricted (37.8% and 36.9% dry matter respectively). In conclusion, it may be concluded that sea bass has rapid response to cycling starvation/re-feeding and that a 25% restricted feeding ratio is insufficient to invoke a compensatory growth response in sea bass.