Effect of dietary protein and lipid levels on compensatory growth of juvenile olive flounder(Paralichthys olivaceus) reared in suboptimal temperature

Abstract

Effect of dietary protein and lipid levels on compensatory growth of juvenile olive flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus) was determined in suboptimal temperature (13.4±1.42°C). Five hundred forty fish averaging 79.2 g were randomly distributed into 27 of 300 L flow-through tanks (20 fish/tank). Nine treatments were prepared in triplicate: fish were hand-fed with control (C) diet for 10 weeks (10WF-C); four fish groups were starved for 1 week and then fed with C, high protein (HP), high lipid (HL) and combined high protein and high lipid (HPL) diets for 9 weeks, referred to as 9WF-C, 9WF-HP, 9WF-HL, 9WF-HPL, respectively; and other four fish groups were starved for 2 weeks and then fed with C, HP, HL and HPL diets for 8 weeks, referred to as 8WF-C, 8WF-HP, 8WF-HL and 8WF-HPL, respectively. Weight gain and specific growth rate of fish in 9WF-HP, 9WF-HPL, 8WF-HP and 8WF-HPL treatments were higher than those of fish in 9WF-HL and 8 WF-HL treatments. Feed efficiency of fish in 8WF-HP treatment was higher than that of fish in 9WF-C, 9 WF-HL and 8 WF-HL treatments. Protein efficiency ratio of fish in 10 WF-C, 8WF-C, 8WF-HP and 8 WF-HPL treatments was higher that that of fish in 9WF-HL and 8WF-HL treatments. Juvenile olive flounder subjected to 2-week feed deprivation could achieve full compensatory growth with dietary supplementation of protein or combined high protein and high lipid.