COMPENSATORY GROWTH AND BODY COMPOSITION OF PARROT FISH Oplegnathus fasciatus FOLLOWING A SINGLE PHASE OF FEED DEPRIVATION

Abstract

Compensatory growth response of the parrot fish (initial mean body weight: 69.4 g) was investigated at 25℃ for 9 weeks. Fish were fasted for 0 (control), 1 (F1), 2 (F2) or 3 (F3) weeks and then re-fed 6 weeks. Changes of specific growth rate, feed efficiency, and feed intake were monitored each 3 weeks during re-feeding. Body composition was investigated at end of feed deprivation and experiment.Fish of F1 and F2 achieved the same body weight as the control fish, indicating that complete compensation occurred in F1 and F2. Specific growth rate, feed efficiency and feed intake in all fish experienced fasting were higher than those of control fish after first 3 weeks of re-feeding. At the end of feed deprivation in week 3, crude protein, crude lipid, and energy content of all fish experiencing fasting were lower than those of the control fish. This result suggests that parrot fish subjected to a single phase feed deprivation of 1 or 2 weeks result in complete compensatory growth, while the fish experiencing 3 weeks fasting only show partial compensatory growth capacity.h rate, feed efficiency, and feed intake were monitored each 3 weeks during re-feeding. Body composition was investigated at end of feed deprivation and experiment.Fish of F1 and F2 achieved the same body weight as the control fish, indicating that complete compensation occurred in F1 and F2. Specific growth rate, feed efficiency and feed intake in all fish experienced fasting were higher than those of control fish after first 3 weeks of re-feeding. At the end of feed deprivation in week 3, crude protein, crude lipid, and energy content of all fish experiencing fasting were lower than those of the control fish. This result suggests that parrot fish subjected to a single phase feed deprivation of 1 or 2 weeks result in complete compensatory growth, while the fish experiencing 3 weeks fasting only show partial compensatory growth capacity.