Feeding frequency influences growth, feed intake and blood chemistry of juvenile dark-banded rockfish, Sebastes inermis

Abstract

A 10-week feeding trial was conducted to investigate the influence of feeding frequency on growth, feed intake and blood chemistry of dark-banded rockfish. Triplicate groups of fish (mean body weight of 12.7 g) were hand-fed to visual satiety with four different feeding frequencies: one meal every 2 days at 09:00, one meal daily at 09:00, two meals daily at 09:00 and 16:00, three meals daily at 09:00, 12:30 and 16:00, respectively. Feeding trials were conducted in 12 rectangular plastic aquariums (40 × 60 × 40 cm, 75L) in a recirculating system with 30 fish per each aquarium, respectively. At the end of experiment, blood parameters were analyzed for 5 fish of each aquarium. Weight gain, specific growth rate and feed efficiency of fish fed one and two meals per day were significantly (P < 0.05) higher than those of fish one meal every 2 days and three meals per day. The feed intake of fish fed one meal every 2 days was significantly (P < 0.05) lower than those of fish fed one to three meals per day. The inter-individual size variation in weight was not significantly (P > 0.05) affected by feeding frequency. The maximum food consumption of fish appeared at the first meal of each treatment but the magnitude of consumed feeds changed with feeding frequency. The concentrations of TCHO (total cholesterol) and HDLC (high density of lipoprotein cholesterol) of fish fed one and two meals per day were significantly (P<0.05)ty with four different feeding frequencies: one meal every 2 days at 09:00, one meal daily at 09:00, two meals daily at 09:00 and 16:00, three meals daily at 09:00, 12:30 and 16:00, respectively. Feeding trials were conducted in 12 rectangular plastic aquariums (40 × 60 × 40 cm, 75L) in a recirculating system with 30 fish per each aquarium, respectively. At the end of experiment, blood parameters were analyzed for 5 fish of each aquarium. Weight gain, specific growth rate and feed efficiency of fish fed one and two meals per day were significantly (P < 0.05) higher than those of fish one meal every 2 days and three meals per day. The feed intake of fish fed one meal every 2 days was significantly (P < 0.05) lower than those of fish fed one to three meals per day. The inter-individual size variation in weight was not significantly (P > 0.05) affected by feeding frequency. The maximum food consumption of fish appeared at the first meal of each treatment but the magnitude of consumed feeds changed with feeding frequency. The concentrations of TCHO (total cholesterol) and HDLC (high density of lipoprotein cholesterol) of fish fed one and two meals per day were significantly (P<0.05)