Laboratory studies on food intake, growth and food conversion of young herring, Clupea harengus (L.)

Food intake, growth and food conversion of young, O-group herring were studied at two temperatures and feeding regimes over a period of 19 weeks. The food intake of fish fed to satiation twice daily showed considerable variation. Food intake per fish at 14.5° C was about three times that at 6.5° C, and was generally much higher than in most other species of fish studied. The mean increase in wet weight over the 19-week period was 0.581 g/week at 14.5° C and 0.236 g/week at 6.5° C in fish fed to satiation and 0.094 g/week at 6.2° C and a ration of 1.3% of the body weight. Growth depensation was found to occur even in fish fed to satiation. The changes in specific growth rate, that is the percentage increase in weight/day, showed similar trends at different temperatures and food regimes. The mean conversion efficiency of fish on a ration of 1.3% at 6.2° C was higher than that of fish fed until satiation, at 14.5 and 6.5° C. The conversion efficiency of fish fed to satiation at 14.5° C showed a distinct decrease with increasing weight while at 6.5° C such a clear trend was not observed. In general, the conversion efficiency of young herring were found to be much lower than that of most other species studied. The weight exponent of the quantitative relationship between food intake and body weight at 14.5° C was 0.744. The total metabolic expenditure at 14.5° C, calculated using Winberg's (1956) 'utilization coefficient, gave a weight exponent of 0.773.     

Rapid metabolic adaptation in European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) juveniles fed different carbohydrate sources after heat shock stress

A study was conducted to evaluate the effect of two dietary carbohydrate sources (waxy maize starch and glucose) on the metabolic adaptation of sea bass juveniles (initial weight: 24 g) to a heat shock treatment (temperature rise from 18 degrees C to 25 degrees C within 24 h). Two isonitrogenous and isolipidic diets were formulated to contain 20% waxy maize starch (WS diet) or 20% glucose (GLU diet). Triplicate groups of fish were fed to near satiation for 4 weeks at both temperatures (18 degrees C and 25 degrees C). Then, fish previously maintained at 18 degrees C were submitted to a heat shock (18 degrees C to 25 degrees C) and continued to be fed with the same diets during 1 more week. The higher water temperature significantly improved growth performance, feed efficiency, as well as protein efficiency ratio, independently of diet. At 25 degrees C, but not at 18 degrees C, growth of fish fed the WS diet was higher than that of fish fed the GLU diet. Plasma glucose levels were higher in sea bass fed the GLU diet and not influenced by water temperature. Fish fed a glucose diet or reared at high temperatures (25 degrees C) showed enhanced liver glycolytic, lipogenic and gluconeogenic capacities compared to fish fed a starch diet or reared at low temperatures (18 degrees C). For the majority of the enzymes studied, 1 week seemed to be enough time for metabolic adaptation in sea bass submitted to an acute heat shock. Irrespective of carbohydrate source, HSP70 gene expression was similar in both cold water (18 degrees C) and warm water (25 degrees C) acclimated sea bass. A weak down regulation was observed after heat shock only in fish fed the GLU diet. This suggests that HSP70 gene expression is not affected by the rearing temperature per se.     

Daily ration of juvenile Coregonus lavaretus (L.) fed on living zooplankton

Juvenile whitefish, Coregonus lavaretus (L.), wet weight 0.04 to 5.2 g, from Lake Constance were kept at 10, 12 and 16° C water temperature, respectively and fed with living zooplankton. The experimental duration lasted 72 to 120 h. Daily rations were defined as the amount of zooplankton remaining subtracted from the amount of zooplankton added after a 24 h interval. The mortality of the zooplankton was determined in parallel experiments without fish. Relative daily ration (zooplankton weight/fish weight) v. fish weight increased up to a fish dry weight of approximately 0.12 g and then decreased steadily. The maximum daily ration was about 270% of fish body wet weight (wet/wet) corresponding to 75% of body dry weight (dry/dry), respectively. In fishes of a dry weight higher than 0.12 g (wet weight 0.65 g) a significant difference in food intake was found between 12 and 16° C. The specific growth rate ranged from nearly 0 up to 33% per day. No correlation was found between daily ration and specific growth rate.     

Growth rate of tank-reared Mediterranean amberjack, Seriola dumerili (Risso 1810) fed on three different diets

Mediterranean amberjack Seriola dumerili (Risso 1810) has aquaculture potential. The growth rate and food conversion ratio of S. dumerili on three different types of food (A: 100% frozen sardines; B: 50% frozen sardines and 50% pellet; C: 100% pellet) were measured, and analysed with respect to temperature, condition index and chemical composition of the fish fillet. Wild S. dumerili, average body weight 248 g and average total length 26.9 cm were caught in August and September 1994 in the South Adriatic Sea near Dubrovnik, Croatia and kept in three tanks (n=15 in each tank; duration of experiment, 226 days). The fish that were fed on diet A [initial weight, 252 ± 71 g; total length (TL), 24.3 ± 2.6 cm] started feeding immediately; however, fish assigned to diet C began to feed entirely on the pelleted diet 1 month after the start of the experiment. The mortality of fish fed on diet A was negligible, the registered growth rate was 313 ± 74 g (124.2%), specific growth rate was 0.32% day^?1 and the food conversion rate was 6.7. The fish fed on diet B (initial weight, 246 ± 74 g; TL, 28.2 ± 2.5 cm) started to feed on day 3 and achieved a total growth rate of about 98% (final weight gain, 241 ± 69 g) and specific growth rate of 0.24% day^?1 (feed conversion rate of 9.00 and mortality 13%). The fish fed on diet C (initial weight, 246 ± 74 g; TL, 28.2 ± 2.5 cm) started to feed on the pellets after 1 month and had a growth rate of 87% (weight gain 214 ± 85 g), a specific growth rate of 0.24% day^?1 and a food conversion rate of 10.6 with considerable mortality (27%). In all three diet groups the fish grew with considerable variation in food consumption and growth rate, depending on seasonal temperature variations of the ambient sea water supplied to the rearing tanks. Chemical analysis showed that the protein level (amount) in the fish meat exceeded 20% in all three fish fillet samples.     

Lysine and arginine requirements of juvenile Asian sea bass (Lates calcarifer)

Two separate experiments were conducted to determine the dietary requirements of juvenile Asian sea bass Lates calcarifer Bloch for lysine and arginine. Fish (average initial weight: lysine experiment, 13.12 ± 0.12 g; arginine experiment, 2.56 ± 0.13 g) were given amino acid test diets for 12 weeks containing fish meal, zein, squid meal, and crystalline amino acids. Each set of isonitrogenous and isocaloric test diets contained graded levels of L ‐lysine or L ‐arginine. The feeding rate in the lysine experiment was at 4–2.5% of the body weight day^?1, while in the arginine experiment it was at 10–4% of the body weight day^?1. The fish (20 per tank, lysine experiment; 15 per tank, arginine experiment) were reared in 500‐L fibreglass tanks with continuous flowthrough sea water at 27 °C and salinity of 31 ppt in the lysine experiment and at 29 °C and salinity of 29 ppt in the arginine experiment. The experiments were in a completely randomized design with two replicates per treatment. Survival was high in fish given adequate lysine or arginine. Mean percentage weight gains were significantly different in fish fed varying levels of lysine or arginine. Fish fed high levels of L ‐arginine suffered high mortalities. No significant differences were obtained in the feed efficiency ratios (FER, g gain g^?1 feed) of fish fed graded lysine, although the values tended to increase as the dietary lysine level was increased up to the requirement level. In contrast, in the arginine experiment, significant differences in FER of fish among treatments were obtained; the highest FER was observed in fish fed the diet containing an optimum arginine level. On the basis of the growth response, survival, and FER, the lysine and arginine requirements of juvenile Asian sea bass were estimated to be 20.6 g kg^?1 dry diet (4.5% protein) and 18.2 g kg^?1 dry diet (3.8% protein), respectively. These data will be useful in the further refinement of practical diet formulations for the Asian sea bass.     

Assessment of egg quality in atlantic salmon,Salmo salar,treated with testosterone—II. Amino acids

• 1.1. Atlantic salmon (Satmo salar) were treated with Silastic pellet implants containing testosterone (200 μg/g body weight) four times in a year. Eggs stripped from control (sham implantation) and testosterone-treated fish were fertilized and comparisons of free and total amino acid compositions made until first feeding.
• 2.2. Despite having eggs which were smaller in diameter, lighter in weight and lower in total amino acid contents, alevins from testosterone-treated fish were heavier in wet weight and larger in body length, and exhibited enhanced free amino acid contents at first feeding.
• 3.3. The qualitative composition of total amino acids in eggs from treated and control fish did not differ.
• 4.4. Total amino acid pool of eggs and alevins declined during development, but an increase in the free amino acid pool was noticed through development. The increase in free amino acid pool was higher in eggs and alevins from treated fish than controls, perhaps due to enhanced mobilization of the free amino acid pool.

     

Dietary protein levels affect growth and protein metabolism in trunk muscle of cod,Gadus morhua

Summary Cod (Gadus morhua) of 50 g body weight were kept at 14°C. The fish were fed ad libitum during 80 days a diet containing protein levels which in terms of total energy corresponded to 25%, 45% or 65%. Growth increased in accordance with protein-energy levels. The protein content per gram of wet weight of white trunk muscle was unchanged, as was the myofibrillar protein myosin heavy chain determined by the antigen-antibody reaction of the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The amount of messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) coding for myosin heavy chain was lower at 25% than at 45% or 65% protein-energy intake, the differences being significant per gram of wet weight of muscle. Acid proteinase activity was highest at the lowest protein-energy intake. Glycogen content in muscle increased with the protein-energy levels. It is concluded that the metabolic response of white trunk muscle to graded protein-energy intake included a change in the capacity to synthesize myosin heavy chain as judged by its mRNA content. The protein content per gram of wet weight was unaffected by dietary protein-energy levels of 25%, 45% and 65%, but protein accretion and thus growth of the animals increased with the protein intake. Dietary protein-energy restriction caused a rise in acid proteinase activity and a decrease in content of mRNA for myosin heavy chain, resulting in a diminished growth rate at an unchanged protein content per gram of wet weight of muscle.Abbreviations CTP cytidine triphosphate - DNA desoxyribonucleic acid - EDTA ethylenediaminetetra-acetic acid - mRNA messenger ribonucleic acid - TRIS tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane     

Relative growth of tissues at different somatic growth rates in rainbow trout Salmo gairdneri Richardson

Growth of tissues (heart, spleen, liver, gonad, gut, skin, visceral fat and carcase) in immature rainbow trout relative to growth of whole fish, was examined by means of allometric analysis (y=ax^b; Huxley, 1932) of wet and dry weights. Relative growth rates of tissues are compared in an initial sample of fingerlings (< 11·29 g), and in fish (> 11·29 g) growing rapidly (at 12°C ad libitum rations) and slowly (at 12°C, 4–5% rations, and 7°C ad libitum rations). In the fingerlings of the initial sample, the major tissues by weight (liver, gut, skin, visceral fat) increased relatively more rapidly than whole body weight (i.e. with positive allometry; b> 1·00), and carcase increased more slowly than body weight (b< 1·00). Above fingerling size, the reverse holds: tissues other than carcase (with exception of visceral fat) increased less rapidly than body weight (b < 1·00), and carcase more rapidly (b > 1·00). These principles hold for post-fingerling, immature rainbow trout, regardless of growth rate differences of whole fish, and even in fish that also received bGH (bovine growth hormone). The characteristic b (slope) values in the allometry equations for the wet and dry weights of the various tissues tend to remain constant, despite whole fish growth rate differences and the effects of this constancy are to maintain approximate constancy of body proportional (%) wet and dry weights. It is emphasized however that the effect of b values only slightly > or < 1·00 can cause important changes in the proportional (%) weights of major tissues as fish continue to increase in size. In low (4–5%) rations fish (without bGH) the slope (b) value for gut is less than for fish on ad libitum rations with the result that gut proportional weight is significantly less among these fish. In fish on ad libitum rations at 7°C, the slope (b) value for skin is greater than for all other (12°C) groups; skin proportional weight for the 7°C group is therefore, significantly greater. The overall impression of relative growth in immature rainbow trout is of remarkable conservativeness of body proportional weights regardless of overall somatic growth rate.     

Effect of water temperature,feeding frequency,and protein percent in the diet on water quality,growth and behavior of Nile tilapia Oreochromis niloticus (Linnaeus, 1758)

This study evaluated how water temperature (26, 28, and 30°C), number of meals per day (one or two meals), and protein percent in diet (20, 25 and 30%) impact growth performance, biometric indices, and feeding behavior of Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus. Fish were randomly allocated into 18 equal replicate groups. Higher final body weight was observed in fish reared at 30°C and fed one meal per day containing 30% crude protein. Better weight gain, weight gain %, feed conversion ratio, specific growth rate, and condition factor were recorded in fish reared at 26°C and fed one meal per day containing 30% protein. The best length weight relationship was obtained in fish reared at 26°C and fed one meal per day containing 30% crude protein. Shorter feeding duration and duration of appetite inhibition latency were recorded in fish reared at 30°C, fed one meal per day, and given a diet containing 30% protein. The highest proactivity was recorded in fish reared at 30°C, received one meal per day, and with 25% crude protein in their diet. Conclusively, rearing Nile tilapia at 26–30°C with a lower feeding frequency (one meal/day) and a 30% crude protein diet achieved better performance and feeding behavior.     

不同饵料对稀有鲫生长和繁殖的影响

饵料对鱼类生长发育和繁殖具有重要影响。为了筛选稀有鲫(Gobiocypris rarus)幼鱼和成鱼阶段最适投喂方式, 实验将出膜5周末(日龄为35 day after hatching)的幼鱼随机分为5个组: A组投喂丰年虫; B组每周前6d (days)投喂丰年虫, 后1d投喂商业化微颗粒S3饲料; C组每周前3.5d投喂丰年虫, 后3.5d投喂饲料; D组每周前1d投喂丰年虫, 后6d投喂饲料; E组一直投喂饲料; 各组均采用饱食投喂策略。每2周统计生长、存活指标, 直至第21周(147 dah), 在17周(119 dah)取材用于观察性腺发育程度。在产卵后统计各组产卵量、孵化率和子代畸形率。结果显示: (1)E组存活率和特定生长率显著低于其他组(P<0.05); (2)从产卵量、孵化率和子代畸形率上看, B组产卵量显著高于其他组(P<0.05); (3)从性腺组织学上看, 不同投喂方法对精巢的成熟度无显著影响, 但投喂过丰年虫的稀有鲫卵巢发育成熟度显著优于E组。研究结果提示:适量加入丰年虫比单一投喂活饵或饲料更有利于稀有鲫的生长和繁殖。建议在标准化养殖过程中, 幼鱼和成鱼期的稀有鲫采取丰年虫与饲料投喂频次比值为6﹕1的方式最佳。     

Energy balance and cold adaptation in the octopus Pareledone charcoti

A complete energy balance equation is calculated for the Antarctic octopus Pareledone charcoti at 0 degrees C. Energy used in respiration, growth, and excretion of nitrogenous and faecal waste, was recorded along with the total consumption of energy through food, for three specimens of P. charcoti (live weights: 73, 51 and 29 g). Growth rates were very slow for cephalopods, with a mean daily increase in body weight of only 0.11%. Assimilation efficiencies were high, between 95.4 and 97.0%, which is consistent with previous work on octopods. The respiration rate in P. charcoti was low, with a mean of 2.45 mg O(2) h(-1) for a standard animal of 150 g wet mass at 0 degrees C. In the North Sea octopus Eledone cirrhosa, respiration rates of 9.79 mg O(2) h(-1) at 11.5 degrees C and 4.47 mg O(2) h(-1) at 4.5 degrees C for a standard animal of 150 g wet mass were recorded. Respiration rates between P. charcoti and E. cirrhosa were compared using a combined Q(10) value between P. charcoti at 0 degrees C and E. cirrhosa at 4.5 degrees C. This suggests that P. charcoti are respiring at a level predicted by E. cirrhosa rates at 4.5 and 11.5 degrees C extrapolated to 0 degrees C along the curve Q(10)=3, with no evidence of metabolic compensation for low temperature.     

Nutritive value of dried lactic acid fermented fish silage and soybean meal in dry diets for juvenile catfish, Clarias gariepinus (Burchell, 1822)

Dry diets containing either fish meal (C-FM) or dried fermented fish silage and soybean meal blend (1:1, ww⁻¹) (C-FS) as the sole protein source, were fed to triplicate groups of juvenile Clarias gariepinus (10.8 ± 0.3 g) at 5% body weight per day for 70 days. Catfish fed the C-FS diet showed reduced (P < 0.05) growth rate, feed conversion, protein efficiency and digestibility. Lower amounts of available amino acids in the C-FS diet resulted in inferior nutritive value for catfish growth than in the C-FM diet. Postprandial changes in plasma amino acids showed similar patterns in both diet treatments, but the maximal mean levels attained for the C-FS diet were correspondingly lower and occurred earlier than with the C-FM diet. There were no effects of feeding C-FS diet on the hepatosomatic index but carcass analysis showed that body protein deposition was lower (P < 0.05). Differences in haematocrit, haemoglobin content and liver histology were demonstrated but were not pathological. Lower digestible energy of C-FS diet also contributed to the poor performance of catfish in this treatment. Results of this study indicate that C. gariepinus cannot metabolize protein from co-dried fish silage as efficiently as fish meal protein when used as the sole dietary protein.     

Effects of dietary arginine levels on growth performance and body composition of juvenile grouper Epinephelus coioides

An 8‐week feeding trial was conducted to determine the effects of dietary arginine levels on growth performance and body composition of juvenile grouper Epinephelus coioides (initial weight: 16.10 ± 0.26 g per fish) in 500‐L indoor flow‐through circular fiberglass tanks. Diets contained six levels of l ‐arginine ranging from 1.78% to 3.31% of dry diet in 0.30% increments. The diets, in which 25% crude protein came from fishmeal and soybean protein concentrate, and 23% from crystalline amino acids, were formulated to simulate the amino acid profile of 48% whole chicken egg protein except for arginine. Each diet was assigned to three tanks (20 fish per tank) in a completely randomized design. Grouper were fed to apparent satiation (about 5% body weight per day at the initial 1–4 weeks and 3% body weight per day in the following 5–8 weeks) twice daily on weekdays and once daily on weekends. Weight gain (WG) and specific growth rate (SGR) showed an incremental trend with increasing dietary arginine levels from 1.78% to 2.72% and remained thereafter relatively constant. Productive protein value (PPV) was poorest in fish fed the lowest arginine diet (P < 0.05) and showed no significant differences among other treatments (P > 0.05). Dietary arginine contents significantly influenced body composition. With the increase in dietary arginine, contents of total essential amino acids (EAAs), total non‐EAAs and total amino acids of whole body significantly increased (P < 0.05). The retention of dietary EAA in whole body of juvenile grouper was significantly influenced by dietary arginine. Arginine retention increased with increasing dietary arginine levels from 1.78% to 2.72%, then declined above the level of 2.7% (P < 0.05). Based on broken‐line regression analysis of WG against dietary arginine levels, the dietary arginine requirement of juvenile grouper E. coioides was determined as 2.7% of the diet (corresponding to 5.5% of dietary protein).     

Energy budget of juvenile fat snook Centropomus parallelus fed live food

The fat snook Centropomus parallelus is a tropical estuarine species with importance for recreational and commercial fisheries and further aquaculture potential. Considering ingested energy (C) is channeled into growth (P), metabolic expenditure (R), excretion (U) and feces (F), a balanced energy budget was established for isolated and grouped juvenile C. parallelus (5.18 to 10.25 g wet mass) by experimental quantification of each of these parameters. Fish were fed live prawn (Macrobrachium sp.) at 25 degrees C and 20 per thousand for 19 days and daily energy budgets could be calculated. Energy content of food (live prawn), fish whole body and feces were 17.7, 14.5 and 6.1 KJ g(-1) dry mass (DW), respectively. Mass-specific rates of oxygen consumption and ammonia-N excretion were 0.271 and 0.0082 mg of O(2) or NH(3)-N g(-1) wet mass (WW) h(-1), respectively, resulting in O:N=23.4. Daily ingestion (C) was dependent on the amount of food offered and ranged between 4.9% to 7.4% of initial wet weight. Growth (P) was positively correlated with initial mass varying from 0.008 to 0.104 g day(-1). Feces release also correlated to fish mass and averaged 9.53 mg dry mass day(-1). The components of energy budget showed mean values of 2.39 (C), 0.24 (P), 1.96 (R), 0.11 (U) and 0.06 (F) KJ ind(-1) day(-1). As percentage of ingested energy, C. parallelus channeled 10% in growth (P), 82% in metabolism (R), 4.6% in excretion (U) and 2.5% in feces (F). Gross (K(1)) and net (K(2)) growth efficiencies were 9.2% and 9.9%, respectively. On the course of this period of juvenile development, K(1) and K(2) increased significantly. Partitioning of ingested energy in P, R, U and F was significantly different in individually and group maintained fish (P<0.05). Energy budget of C. parallelus fed a highly digestible diet (live prawn) revealed poor growth and growth efficiencies (K(1) and K(2)) possibly associated with an elevated metabolic demand and a high channeling of metabolized energy (P+R) into metabolism (R) in both isolated and grouped fish. Data can be applied to ecosystem modeling and may contribute to identify species potential to aquaculture.     

Effect of salinity and temperature on the growth of yearling Arctic cisco (Coregonus autumnalis) of the Alaskan Beaufort Sea

The growth of 1-year-old Arctic cisco ( Coregonus autumnalis ) was monitored under laboratory conditions for fish acclimated to one of two temperatures (5 and 10° C) and one of five salinities (6, 12, 18,24, 30‰). Fish were maintained for 43 days at rations of 3% wet body weight per day at 5° C and 5% wet body weight per day at 10° C, with rations adjusted for weight gain every 7–12 days. Fish increased 9–11% in length and 55–71% in weight at 5° C, and 23–27% in length and 141–161% in weight at 10° C. Length and weight increased linearly over 43 days. There was a statistically significant effect of temperature on growth but no statistically significant effect of salinity. Higher growth rates at 10° C were partially attributable to significantly greater gross conversion efficiency at the higher temperature. Over the course of the experiment, the condition (weight per unit length) of all fish increased by 3·2 to 63·6% at 5° C and by 5·6 to 46·0% at 10° C. There was no discernible effect of salinity on condition at either temperature. These results demonstrate that, with salinity acclimation and high food ration, 1-year-old Arctic cisco can grow at equivalent rates across salinities ranging from 6 to 30‰. The ecological implications of the results are discussed.     

Fecundity and reproduction of perch (Perca fluviatilis L.) in Lake Agios Vasilios, Greece

SUMMARY. In Lake Agios Vasilios, male perch become sexually mature during their first year of life whereas females become sexually mature during their second year. The mean absolute fecundity was 8080 eggs; values ranged from 2080 to 28488. The mean relative fecundity was 141 eggs/g body wet weight (ranging from 113 to 201). The absolute increase in weight of gonads is related to the age of the fish. The spawning period is from the middle of March to the beginning of April, at a mean water temperature of 8°C.     

Rearing temperature enhances hepatic glucokinase but not glucose-6-phosphatase activities in European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) and gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata) juveniles fed with the same level of glucose

The aim of this work was to elucidate if the previous results observed in hepatic glucokinase (GK) and glucose-6-phosphatase (G6Pase) activities in European sea bass and gilthead sea bream are due to temperature per se or to differences in feed intake at different water temperatures. For that purpose triplicate groups of fish (30 g initial body weight) were kept at 18 degrees C or 25 degrees C during two weeks and fed a fixed daily ration of a glucose-free or 20% glucose diet. At the end of the experimental period, plasma glucose levels in both species were not influenced by water temperature but were higher in fish fed the glucose diet. Higher hepatic GK activity was observed in the two fish species fed the glucose diet than the glucose-free diet. In the glucose fed groups, GK activity was higher at 25 degrees C than at 18 degrees C. Glucose-6-phosphatase activities in both species were not influenced by water temperature. In European sea bass and in contrast to gilthead sea bream it was observed an effect of dietary composition on G6Pase activities with surprising higher activities recorded in fish fed the glucose diet than in fish fed the glucose-free diet. Overall, our data strongly suggest that European sea bass and gilthead sea bream are apparently capable to strongly regulate glucose uptake by the liver but not glucose synthesis, which is even enhanced by dietary glucose in European sea bass. Within limits, increasing water temperature enhances liver GK but not G6Pase activities, suggesting that both species are more able to use dietary carbohydrates at higher rearing temperatures.     

Resting metabolism and heat increment of feeding in mandarin fish (Siniperca chuatsi) and Chinese snakehead (Channa argus)

Resting metabolism was measured in immature mandarin fish Siniperca chuatsi weighing 42.1-510.2 g and Chinese snakehead Channa argus weighing 41.5-510.3 g at 10, 15, 20, 25, 30 and 35 degrees C. Heat increment of feeding was measured in mandarin fish weighing 202.0 (+/-14.0) g and snakehead weighing 200.8 (+/-19.3) g fed swamp loach Misgurnus anguillicaudatus at 1% body weight per day at 28 degrees C. In both species, weight exponent in the power relationship between resting metabolism and body weight was not affected by temperature. The relationship between resting metabolism and temperature could be described by a power function. The temperature exponent was 1.39 in mandarin fish and 2.10 in snakehead (P<0.05), indicating that resting metabolism in snakehead increased with temperature at a faster rate than in mandarin fish. Multiple regression models were used to describe the effects of body weight (W, g) and temperature (T, degrees C) on the resting metabolism (R(s), mg O(2)/h): lnR(s)=-5.343+0.772 lnW+1.387 lnT for the mandarin fish and lnR(s)=-7.863+0.801 lnW+2.104 lnT for the Chinese snakehead. The proportion of food energy channelled to heat increment was 8.7% in mandarin fish and 6.8% in snakehead.     

The diet and digestive energetics of an Australian short-necked turtle, Emydura macquarii

We described the diet of Emydura macquarii, an omnivorous turtle from south-eastern Australia, compared its digestive performance on diets of fish or plants at two temperatures, and related how both diet and temperature affect its food selection in nature. Filamentous algae constituted 61% of the stomach content of E. macquarii. The turtles rarely fed on motile prey, but selected carrion from the lagoon bottom and terrestrial insects (Diptera, Hymenoptera and Coleoptera) trapped on the surface of the water. Digestive efficiency of E. macquarii was affected little by body temperature, in contrast to consumption rates and rates of passage which were strongly influenced by both temperature and diet. In combination, these responses resulted in a slower rate of digestion at 20 degrees C than at 30 degrees C. Digestive efficiency of E. macquarii on a herbivorous diet at 30 degrees C (49%) was about half that of turtles on a carnivorous diet (91%), but they had longer transit times (118 h on the plant diet versus 70 h). Lower consumption rates and longer mean retention times in turtles fed plants compared those fed fish relate to slower digestive processing of the plant. Rapid processing and higher consumption rates of fish by E. macquarii resulted in higher energy gains compared to turtles consuming plants (almost 100 times more energy at 30 degrees C). The laboratory results suggest that fish carrion and aquatic and terrestrial invertebrates are probably essential dietary items of E. macquarii in the wild, because its metabolic requirements cannot be met from aquatic macrophytes alone.     

Age structure and growth of peacock cichlids from rivers and reservoirs of Venezuela

Cichla temensis collected in Venezuela attained a mean standard length of 440 mm, and C. orinocensis and C. intermedia mean lengths of 309 and 321 mm, respectively. There was little evidence of size differences between sexes. Opaque zones on otoliths corresponded to the period of peak of reproductive activity and low fish body condition ( K ). When aggregated across sites, linear estimates for growth of fish >age I were 57·5, 27·6, and 19·6 mm year¹ for C. temensis , C. orinocensis , and C. intermedia , respectively. Fish from the Cinaruco River appeared to spawn at age I, and prior to first maturation had grown 25, 21, and 23 mm month¹, respectively, for C. temensis , C. orinocensis , and C. intermedia . There was little intersite variation in growth rates, and differences in sizes of conspecifics from different sizes were due to age differences. Cichla in captivity spawn several times per year. The present results indicate that the annual cycle or tropical wet/dry seasonality promotes reproductive seasonality in Cichla . The energetic cost of reproduction and brood defence probably constrains most individuals to one spawn per year. Conversely, populations living in relatively aseasonal reservoir environments may have several spawns per year, in which case growth zones on hard structures are difficult to interpret.