FEEDING AND GROWTH OF JUVENILE JAPANESE FLOUNDER PARALICHTHYS-OLIVACEUS IN RELATION TO TEMPERATURE AND FOOD-SUPPLY

The growth of juvenile Japanese flounder Paralichthys olivaceus (Temmi ng et Schlegel) exposed to various feeding and temperature regimes was studied in the laboratory. The temperature limits for growth were est imated from about 9 to 32 degrees C, and highest growth rate was obser ved at a temperature of 25 degrees C. For fish of an initial total len gth of about 3 cm, exposed to temperatures between 10 and 30 degrees C with unlimited food, the daily growth rate in length (dL; mm . d(-1)) was described as a function of temperature (T,degrees C) by the equat ion: dL = 0.005 T-2 - 0.0000046 T-4 - 0.35. Fish fed with mussel meat or mysids displayed similar protein conversion efficiencies. The relat ionship between condition factor of the fish and the proximate body co mposition of the fish is reported.