The feeding energetics of the Antarctic spiny plunderfish (Harpagifer antarcticus) were examined with respect to the effect of both ration size and animal size. Fish of different sizes were fed single meals at one of two ration levels (2.5% wet body mass and satiation) to determine the maximum aerobic scope that could be elicited by the specific dynamic action. The excretion rates of ammonia, urea, and fluorescamine-positive substances were also monitored. Neither fish size nor ration had any effect on the factorial aerobic scope of feeding, which suggests that cellular metabolic processes associated with feeding were satiated by relatively small meals. The factorial scope in ammonia excretion was affected by both ration and fish size, indicating that respiration and excretion respond to a meal independently. The duration of the specific dynamic action response (240-390 h) increased with fish size but not ration, whereas both the time to reach the peak oxygen consumption and the duration of the ammonia response increased with ration but not fish size. The percentage of the ingested energy that was expended following feeding (the specific dynamic action coefficient) was high at low rations (approximately 56%) but lower (roughly 10%) at satiation rations. This is because the absolute energetic cost of processing a meal was largely independent of meal size. The change in O:N ratios after feeding was very ration-dependent; at low rations, O:N ratios increased, whereas at satiation rations, the O:N ratios decreased.

The absolute gut evacuation rate (GER) (g day 1 ) of Harpagifer antarcticus increased with increasing ration mass, fish mass only influenced the absolute GER at a daily ration level of 0·3% wet fish mass (approximately a maintenance ration). The relative GER (% of meal fed day 1 ) was also affected differently by fish and ration mass depending on the relative ration level being fed; at rations of 0·7% wet fish mass or above the relative GER decreased with increasing fish or ration mass (in such a way that the absolute GER remained constant and unaffected by fish mass). At maintenance (0·3% wet fish mass) rations the relative GER was not affected by fish size or ration mass. Thus, there appears to be a ration threshold above which the digestion physiology alters. Mass-specific GER (% g fish 1 day 1 ) decreased with increasing fish mass. Within a set relative ration level (% wet fish mass) an increase in fish mass decreased the mass-specific GER. At a fixed ration mass, an increase in fish mass (i.e. a reduction in the ration expressed as % fish mass) resulted in a decrease in mass-specific GER. Gut evaluation time (GET) decreased and absorption efficiency (A) increased with increasing absolute GER. The effect of ration and fish mass on the absolute and relative GER followed the same pattern irrespective of the diet, however the A and GER (% day 1 and g day 1 ) were higher and the GET shorter when the fish were fed shelled krill rather than amphipods. 2000 The Fisheries Society of the British Isles

The absolute gut evacuation rate (GER) (g day 1 ) of Harpagifer antarcticus increased with increasing ration mass, fish mass only influenced the absolute GER at a daily ration level of 0·3% wet fish mass (approximately a maintenance ration). The relative GER (% of meal fed day 1 ) was also affected differently by fish and ration mass depending on the relative ration level being fed; at rations of 0·7% wet fish mass or above the relative GER decreased with increasing fish or ration mass (in such a way that the absolute GER remained constant and unaffected by fish mass). At maintenance (0·3% wet fish mass) rations the relative GER was not affected by fish size or ration mass. Thus, there appears to be a ration threshold above which the digestion physiology alters. Mass-specific GER (% g fish 1 day 1 ) decreased with increasing fish mass. Within a set relative ration level (% wet fish mass) an increase in fish mass decreased the mass-specific GER. At a fixed ration mass, an increase in fish mass (i.e. a reduction in the ration expressed as % fish mass) resulted in a decrease in mass-specific GER. Gut evaluation time (GET) decreased and absorption efficiency (A) increased with increasing absolute GER. The effect of ration and fish mass on the absolute and relative GER followed the same pattern irrespective of the diet, however the A and GER (% day 1 and g day 1 ) were higher and the GET shorter when the fish were fed shelled krill rather than amphipods. 2000 The Fisheries Society of the British Isles

The nitrogenous excretion rates (total ammonia nitrogen, urea, and primary amines) of plunderfish Harpagifer antarcticus were related significantly to length and to wet mass (mass exponents of 0·94, 1·01, 1·07 and 0·93 for total ammonia nitrogen, urea, primary amines, and total nitrogen, respectively). The routine total ammonia excretion rates [22·23 2·0 mg N kg 1 day 1 (mean ..)] of plunderfish measured in Antarctica are 10-69% lower than those of comparable non-polar species. Plunderfish are ammonotelic, but the proportion of the total nitrogenous waste attributable to each category was variable between individuals. On average (ranges in parentheses), total ammonia nitrogen, urea, and primary amines accounted for c. 82 (57-97), 13 (2-28), and 5 (0·6-22)%, respectively, of the total nitrogen excreted. Polar fish differ from their non-polar relatives only in the rate, and not the nature, of their nitrogenous waste excretion processes. 1999 The Fisheries Society of the British Isles

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