Effect of Intermittent Feeding on Growth, Feed Utilization and Body Composition of Subadult Olive Flounder Paralichthys olivaceus in Suboptimal Temperature

Abstract

The effect of intermittent feeding on growth, feed utilization and body composition of subadult olive flounder fed extruded pellet (EP) in suboptimal temperature () was determined. Two hundred twenty five subadult fish averaging 272 g were randomly distributed into fifteen of 300 L circular flow-through tanks (fifteen fish per tank). Five treatments with different days of feeding a week were prepared in triplicate: fish were hand-fed with EP to apparent satiation once a day, seven days a week (7DF), which was used as the control group or consecutive six, five, four and three days a week, for 12 weeks, referred to as 6DF, 5DF, 4DF and 3DF treatments, respectively. Weight gains and specific growth rates of fish in 6DF treatment were higher than those of fish in 7DF, 4DF and 3DF treatments, but not different from those of fish in 5DF treatment. Daily feed intake of fish in 6DF and 7DF treatments was higher than that of fish in 5DF, 4DF and 3DF treatments. Feed efficiency and protein efficiency ratio of fish were not different among treatments. There was no difference in the chemical composition of fish between treatments. Results of this study demonstrated that feeding five days per week could be recommended for subadult olive flounder fed extruded pellet in suboptimal temperature.