Influence of feeding frequency on growth, feed intake and proximate composition of juvenile red seabream Pagrus major

Abstract

A 10-week feeding trial was conducted to investigate the influences of feeding frequency on growth, feed intake and proximate composition of juvenile red seabream Pagrus major. A total 240 juveniles (initial mean body weight 22.7 ± 0.8 g) were randomly distributed to twelve 75-L tanks with density of 20 fish per tank. Fish were hand-fed to apparent satiation using a commercial diet (42.5% protein) at one of four different feeding frequencies (one to four meals a day) with triplicates. At the end of feeding trial, weight gain, specific growth rate, and feeding rate in fish fed three and four meals a day were significantly (P < 0.05) higher than those of fish one or two meals a day. The feed efficiency was not significantly (P > 0.05) affected by the feeding frequency. The inter-individual size variation in body weight significantly (P < 0.05) decreased with the increase of feeding frequency. The highest feed intake of fish occurred at the first meal (08:30) of each treatment. As feeding frequency increased, crude lipid content also increased, but crude ash content decreased (P < 0.05). Our results suggest that optimum feeding frequency for improving growth rate of juvenile red seabream weighing from 20 to 80 g is three meals a day under our specific experimental conditions.were randomly distributed to twelve 75-L tanks with density of 20 fish per tank. Fish were hand-fed to apparent satiation using a commercial diet (42.5% protein) at one of four different feeding frequencies (one to four meals a day) with triplicates. At the end of feeding trial, weight gain, specific growth rate, and feeding rate in fish fed three and four meals a day were significantly (P < 0.05) higher than those of fish one or two meals a day. The feed efficiency was not significantly (P > 0.05) affected by the feeding frequency. The inter-individual size variation in body weight significantly (P < 0.05) decreased with the increase of feeding frequency. The highest feed intake of fish occurred at the first meal (08:30) of each treatment. As feeding frequency increased, crude lipid content also increased, but crude ash content decreased (P < 0.05). Our results suggest that optimum feeding frequency for improving growth rate of juvenile red seabream weighing from 20 to 80 g is three meals a day under our specific experimental conditions.