Low feed pellet water stability and fluctuating water salinity cause separation and accumulation of dietary oil in the stomach of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

Regurgitation (belching) of oil is a problem in sea farmed rainbow trout kept in water with fluctuating salinity. This often coincides with abdominal distension syndrome, which is associated with osmoregulatory stress and lipid indigestion. The present study investigated combined effects of water stability in extruded feeds and fluctuating water salinity on feed consumption, growth, nutrient digestibility, gastrointestinal transit, and accumulation of water and oil in the stomach of rainbow trout. Diets were produced with high or low water stability, which were characterised by a novel water stability test. In an initial 84 days growth experiment, each diet was fed to six groups of 772 g trout, of which three tanks were supplied with full-strength seawater, and three tanks were fluctuated between seawater and freshwater (7 h per day during 3 successive days per week). No significant effects were seen, although the feed intake appeared slightly lowered by low dietary water stability at fluctuating salinity. In a second experiment, each diet was fed to four groups of 1 kg trout, of which two tanks were supplied with full-strength seawater, and two tanks were fluctuated between seawater and brackish water (17‰ 7 h per day daily). Low water stability of the diet resulted in accumulation of oil in the stomach, and this response was worsened when the salinity of the rearing water fluctuated. It also corresponded with reduced lipid digestibility. Consequently, low water stability of the diet caused an oil separation in the stomach that may result in oil-belching in rainbow trout suffering from osmoregulatory stress.