Energetic costs at different levels of feeding in juvenile cod, Gadus morhua L.

The energetic costs associated with feeding by juvenile cod were determined by means of an open-circuit respirometer. Fish acclimated to several temperatures (7, 10, 15 and 18°C) were kept at natural lighting levels, and fed inside their individual respirometers. They consumed a diet compounded from natural foods, at five different ration levels, their oxygen consumption being monitored continually over an 11–16 day period.
After each meal the rate of oxygen consumption increased to above the pre-feeding level, reaching a peak 8–10 h later. With each successive meal the oxygen consumption showed a cumulative increase, reaching a maximum usually after the last meal.
The elevation in metabolic rate associated with feeding was dependent upon ration size, increasing linearly as the food intake increased. The effect was also dependent upon temperature; for fish fed to satiation the total energy cost was equivalent to 11.9, 10.9, 16.4 and 17.1% of the ingested energy at 7, 10, 15 and 18°C respectively. For resting satiated fish the rate of oxygen consumption was close to the maximum rate for active fish.