Effects of intermittent starvation on the survival, growth, and nutritional status of the freshwater prawn Macrobrachium borellii Nobili, 1896 (Decapoda: Caridea: Palaemonidae)

Abstract

We examined the effect of the double restriction-recovery cycle on survival, growth, and nutritional status of the freshwater prawn Macrobrachium borellii (Nobili, 1896), native to floodplain rivers of Argentina. The restriction period consisted of intermittent starvation (alternating four-day feeding with no feeding for four days) and a recovery period of continuous feeding following the restriction period. Survival was high over a 20-week trial with cycles of food scarcity. Prawns showed a slight impact on their growth throughout the entire first cycle of restriction-recovery; however, compensatory growth was not triggered. The reduction of growth was markedly more drastic after the second restriction period, but compensatory growth was not exhibited when the second recovery period was reestablished. Any possible impact of the double cycle of intermittent starvation on energy reserves and structure of the hepatopancreas was compensated by a posterior cycle of continuous feeding. The results demonstrated that M. borelli can successfully support long-term food scarcity throughout the juvenile and adult phases, at least intermittently and followed by a recovery period. The high nutritional flexibility is an adaptation to fluctuations in food availability and an advantage for successful ornamental aquaculture.

Compensatory growth: Fitness cost in farmed fish and crustaceans

“…In addition to the size‐dependent influence in the CG response, it appears, at least in crustaceans, that high density of organisms can prevent achievement of optimal CG 87‐90 . Whereas temporal feeding restrictions do not generally cause a decrease in survival, 34,53,54,56 P. vannamei exposed to 6 weeks of cyclic feeding restriction including 1 or 2 days of fasting per week, showed a significant decrease in survival 88 .…”

Effects of intermittent starvation on growth performance, precocity, digestive enzyme activity and body chemical composition of juvenile Chinese mitten crab Eriocheir sinensis

“…Many animals have the ability to compensate for weight loss after a period of food deprivation ). Crustaceans also have the capacity to tolerate starvation periods (Wen et al 2006;Gebauer et al 2010;Stumpf et al 2011Stumpf et al , 2020 and to achieve compensatory growth after food restriction (Wu and Dong 2001; Singh and Balange 2007; Stumpf et al 2011Stumpf et al , 2020. Macrobrachium nipponense underwent compensatory growth after different periods of starvation followed by refeeding (Li et al 2009).…”

“…Cherax quadricarinatus juveniles subjected to intermittent feeding regimes of 2-4 days have the same survival and mass gain as daily fed individuals (Stumpf et al 2011). However, the degree of compensatory growth is highly dependent not only on the species but also on the length and intensity of food deprivation (Wu and Dong 2001;Oh et al 2008;Stumpf et al 2011Stumpf et al , 2020.…”

“…Energy reserves stored in hepatopancrease of starved crabs in present study reduced during starvation, and more energy reserves was metabolized in longer starvation. However, energy reserves depleted during starvation will be renewed when food was available again(Wu and Dong 2002;Stumpf et al 2020…”

“…;Cheng et al 1998;Lin et al 2021). Reduction in size of the digestive gland was observed in various crab species after a period starvation(Mayrand et al 2000;Stumpf et al 2020). Therefore, it can be speculated that energy reserves in juvenile E. sinensis hepatopancrease or body will reduce during each starvation period in the present study.…”