Cyclical short-term starvation and refeeding provokes compensatory growth in sub-yearling Siberian sturgeon, Acipenser baerii Brandt, 1869

Abstract

This study investigated the effects of starvation and subsequent refeeding on growth, feed utilization, body composition, hematological indices and some morphological and plasma biochemical parameters of Siberian sturgeon (Acipenser baerii) with average initial weight of 19.32±0.62g (mean±SE). The fish were exposed to four feeding regimes: the control group (C) was fed four times daily to apparent satiation throughout the experiment. Fish in the other three treatments were deprived of food for 2, 4, or 8 days followed by 8, 16, or 32 days of refeeding (T1, T2 and T3, respectively) in repeated cycles during an 80 days feeding trial. At the end of the experiment, there were no significant differences in final weight (except for T2 group), growth and feeding performance, whole body composition, hepatosomatic index and digestive somatic index between the deprived and control fish (P>0.05). Feeding strategies seemed to have a significant effect only on the protein content (P<0.05). At the end of the experiment, protein content of T3 group fish was significantly lower than the other treatments (P<0.05). The levels of total plasma protein and triglyceride were significantly higher in T3 group than those in T1, T2 and control groups (P<0.05). Starvation was found to significantly affect white blood cell count at the end of the experiment (P<0.05). The present results suggested that Siberian sturgeon subjected to 2 and 8 days of food deprivation and refeeding exhibited complete compensation. Therefore, it can be concluded that the magnitude of compensatory growth depended on the length of starvation. Also, this species could recover in growth performance and some morphological and biochemical parameters following a period of starvation.