Compensatory Growth Of Juvenile Nile Tilapia And Changes In Body Crude Composition During Starvation And After Refeeding

Abstract

This work was designed to know the effect of starvation and refeeding on compensatory growth and changes in body crude composition in juvenile Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus). There are four feeding regimens, which are C; feeding for 6 weeks (full-fed) for control treatment, S1; 2 weeks of fasting followed by 4 weeks starving, S3; 4 weeks of starving followed by 2 weeks feeding and S3; starving for 6 weeks(fully starved). S1 treatment had higher growth gain, SGR, FER and PER respectively than other treatments. The poorer values for compensatory growth were obtained in tilapia for S3 treatment. The moisture content in fish significantly decreased and the ash content significantly increased with increasing starvation period before re-feeding for third week and six-week experiment. The lipid content is significantly higher in S1 compare to S2 and S3 treatment for third week experiment. However, there is significantly increase in lipid content from third week experiment (3.79%) to sixth week experiment (15.89%). No significance different were found in protein and ash content among control group, S1, S2, S3 treatment for both week of proximate time. The deprived fish showed hyperphagia during the 2 weeks period or starvation and 4 weeks re-feeding. The difference in body crude composition during starvation and re-feeding indicate that there are metabolism changes during lipid and protein utilization. In conclusion, optimum compensatory growth was achieved and there are changes in body crude composition in juvenile tilapia for 2 weeks food deprivation and refeeding for 4 weeks since there is improvement in weight gain, SGR, PER and FER, lipid and protein content in body composition.