Productive and physiological implications of different feeding frequencies in meagre Argyrosomus regius (Asso, 1801)

To gain information concerning the optimal feeding conditions for meagre (Argyrosomus regius) culture at the juvenile stage (170 g initial wt), four experimental feeding regimes were tested in duplicate lots. All fish were fed with a similar total weekly ration but distributed in 7, 6, or 5 days per week in the morning (lots 7M, 6M, and 5M, respectively) or 5 days per week in the afternoon (lots 5A). Over the 45 and 90-day experiment, some biometric, productive, and metabolic parameters were determined. Growth rates were very similar in all lots, the highest being in 6M fish, which exhibited the best food utilization. No major differences were detected either in body morphometry or body composition. Differences in liver and muscle activities in certain enzymes involved in the intermediary metabolism appear to reflect the impact of the intermittent food deprivation in 5M and 5A fish. In general, the feeding regime based on weekly one-day food deprivation appeared to be favourable for fish and thus could be profitable for fish farming.