The stability of standard metabolic rate during a period of food deprivation in juvenile Atlantic salmon

Among juvenile Atlantic salmon Salmo salar either being fed ad libitum thro ughout a 3 month experiment or deprived of food in the middle month, food d eprivation led to a decrease in SMR, which increased again once food was su pplied ad libitum again. While the rank order of SMR among fish fed through out remained relatively stable, that within the deprived group was inconsis tent, suggesting that individual fish vary in their ability to reduce metab olic costs when food availability is low. (C) 2000 The Fisheries Society of the British Isles.