Compensatory growth in juvenile rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss (Walbaum), held individually

Abstract The effect of feed cycling on compensatory growth was examined in juvenile rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss (Walbaum), held individually at 15 °C. Fish were fasted for 2, 4, 8, or 14 days and then refed until either their relative feed intake differed by less than 10% of fed controls, or the duration of the refeeding period was four times the fasting period. After 80 days, fish fasted for 8 days at a time were smaller than controls, or fish experiencing 2 or 4 days of fasting, while fish fasted for 14 days did not differ from other groups. There were no differences in visceral fat or hepatosomatic indices, but within-treatment variation was high. Fish subjected to fasting display…