Effect of temperature on growth and energy budget of juvenile cobia (Rachycentron canadum)

Growth and energy budget of juvenile cobia (initial body weight ∼ 22 g) at various temperatures (23, 27, 31 and 35 °C) were investigated in this study. Maximal ration level (RLmax, %/day) increased as temperature (T, °C) increased from 23 °C to 31 °C but decreased at 35 °C, described as a quadratic equation: RLmax = −0.023T2 + 1.495T − 17.52. Faecal production (f, mg g− 1 day− 1) increased with increased temperature (T, °C), described as a power function: lnf = 0.738lnT − 0.806. As temperature increased, feed absorption efficiency in dry weight (FAEd, %), protein (FAEp, %) and energy (FAEe, %) all increased first and then decreased, but the variation of feed absorption efficiency was small, with ranges of 89.59–91.08%, 92.91–94.71%, 93.92–95.32%, respectively. Specific growth rate in wet weight (SGRw, %/day), dry weight (SGRd, %/day), protein (SGRp, %/day) and energy (SGRe, %/day) showed a domed curve relative to temperature (T, °C), described as quadratic equations: SGRw = − 0.068T2 + 3.878T − 50.53, SGRd = − 0.079T2 + 4.536T −59.64, SGRp = − 0.084T2 + 4.783T − 63.08 and SGRe = − 0.082T2 + 4.654T − 60.99, and SGRw, SGRd, SGRp and SGRe maximized at 28.5 °C, 28.6 °C, 28.4 °C, 28.5 °C, respectively, as calculated from the regression equations. The relationships between feed conversion efficiency in wet weight (FCEw, %), dry weight (FCEd, %), protein (FCEp, %), energy (FCEe, %) and temperature (T, °C) also took on a domed curve described as quadratic equations: FCEw = − 0.726T2 + 39.71T − 473.8, FCEd = − 0.276T2 + 15.31T − 190.6, FCEp = − 0.397T2 + 22.05T − 277.9 and FCEe = − 0.350T2 + 19.39T − 239.9, and FCEw, FCEd, FCEp and FCEe maximized at 27.4 °C, 27.8 °C, 27.7 °C and 27.7 °C, respectively, as calculated from the regression equations. Energy budget of juvenile cobia fed satiation was 100C = 5F + 67(U + R) + 28G at water temperature 27 °C and 100C = 5F + 70(U + R) + 25G at water temperature 31 °C, where C is food energy, F is faeces energy, (U + R) is excretion energy and metabolism energy, and G is growth energy.