Does intensive feeding frequency affect growth performance of common snook Centropomus undecimalis (Bloch, 1792)?

Abstract

Salt water recirculation systems using automatic feeders are a new frontier for marine aquaculture. It is possible to decrease the vulnerability of the traditional fish farming in open systems and reduce wasteful feeding and discharge of effluents, as well as increase the economic returns. An experiment with common snook fingerings (4.31 ± 1.42 g and 8.4 ± 1.0 cm) was performed. Three feeding treatments were evaluated: six, twelve and eighteen feeding times per day. Each treatment had three replications. Among the three tested frequencies (fed 6, 12 and 18 times a day), the feeding frequency of 12 times per day (every two hours) showed the best values of the parameters evaluated for production performance. The final weight values, condition factor, specific growth rate and daily weight gain of the treatment 12 feeding times per day were all significantly higher than the lower and higher frequencies. Our results demonstrate that high feeding frequency is not synonymous of higher performance, but is extremely necessary to find out the best range for the target species. Besides, this relationship between feeding frequency and growth performance might change over weight range. Therefore, future studies should address higher weight ranges for comparison to our results.

Feeding frequency for dusky grouper Epinephelus marginatus juveniles with automatic feeding system

“…Several studies have demonstrated that the significant increase in the feeding frequency can worsen the feed conversion. Higher feeding frequencies for the common snook ( C. undecimalis ) resulted in a poor feed conversion (Herrera et al, ). Jeong, Kayano, Oda, and Nakagawa () observed that in the Asian grouper, Epinephelus akaara (Temminck & Schlegel, 1842), a higher feeding frequency resulted in the worsening of feed conversion.…”

“…In order to evaluate the productive performance of the flounder Platichthys flesus luscus , using frequencies between one and four times a day, distributed in the period from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., no advantages were observed when increasing feeding frequency (Kuçuk et al, ). However, significant results with arrowhead C. undecimalis were obtained by increasing the feeding period for 24 hr, with an improvement in productive performance (Herrera et al, ). Our results with the dusky grouper demonstrated the effective benefit of extending the period where the food should be distributed.…”

“…Recent studies have demonstrated that the use of high feeding frequencies (above 12 times a day) results in improved performance and lower environmental impact of the crops (Castro et al, ; Sousa et al, ). Evaluating different feeding frequencies for the cultivation of common snook Centropomus undecimalis (Bloch, 1792), the values obtained for final weight, condition factor, specific growth rate and daily weight gain were significantly higher for the frequency of 12 times a day compared with low frequencies (Herrera, Kuhnen, & Sanches, ).…”

“…Studies have shown that the continuously providing (diurnal and nocturnal) the feed can favour productive performance (Bogiani, Castro, Kunii, Oliveira, & Agostinho, ; Hossain, Haylor, & Beveridge, ). Automatic feeders can therefore provide better zootechnical results and, consequently, improve the environmental sustainability of the crops by reducing the effluent released, thus, increasing the economic return of marine fish farming (Herrera et al, ). Studies that address the use of automatic feeders for tropical marine fish farming are even more scarce.…”

Can compensatory growth be used as feed management for dusky grouper?

“…Aquaculture is an activity that has been growing in different countries given the potential for using the waters in food production (Herrera et al, 2019). Feeding protocols involving different feed deprivation and satiation cycles have been assessed in fish farming in order to achieve full compensatory growth for the species (Cotrim et al, 2016; Ortiz et al, 2008).…”