Early-stage fasting leads to long-term growth inhibition and body composition changes in turbot (<i>Scophthalmus maximus</i>).

ABSTRACT: Stimulation of compensatory growth by refeeding after a period of fasting has been used as an economical strategy of growth and body composition manipulation in aquaculture practice. In this study, a total of 300 turbot juveniles, at 85 d post hatch with an initial weight of 5.53 ± 0.06 g, were randomly allocated to 15 tanks (20 fish/tank). The control group was continuously fed, while the four experimental groups were subjected to fasting for 3, 6, 9, or 12 d, respectively, followed by a 60-d refeeding. Each feeding strategy was applied to triplicate tanks. Fish were hand-fed a commercial feed (containing 54.0% protein, 8.0% lipid, and 21.6 MJ/kg gross energy) to apparent satiation. Sampling was conducted at the end of refeeding. Early fasting for 3 to 12 d resulted in final growth retard

SUBMITTER: Xiong H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12907870 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature