Compensatory growth response following periods of starvation in Chinese shrimp, Penaeus chinensis Osbeck

The effects of previous periods of starvation on the subsequent changes in body mass, food consumption, food utilization, and body composition in Chin ese shrimp, Paneus chinensis were investigated. Upon refeeding, shrimp resp onded to various periods (4. 8, and 12 days) of food deprivation by exhibit ing hyperphagia. There were the characteristic patterns that the intensity of compensatory appetite increased in proportion to the length of the starv ation periods and that the hyperphagic responses of the starved shrimp were not sustained, and within 8 days declined to levels not significantly diff erent from those of the controls led continuously at satiation feeding. Dur ing subsequent refeeding, the previously 4-day-starved shrimp were only sli ghtly higher, and the 8- and 12-day-starvcd shrimp were significantly highe r in specific growth rates in terms of dry matter, protein, and energy cont ent (SGR(d), SGR(p), and SGT(c)) than those of the controls. However, there were no significant differences in SGR(w) (SGR in terms of wet weight) amo ng all the experimental groups. During the course of refeeding there were n o significant differences in food conversion efficiencies (FCEw. FCd, FCEp, and FCEc) among all groups, and only the shrimp previously starved for 8 d ays showed slightly higher FCEs (FCEd, PCEp, and FCEc) than the controls. T here was a trend that, within the first 8 days of refeeding, FCEw decreased with the length of starvation periods, which may be attributable to change s in body water content. With food deprivation, lipid, protein, and energy content decreased and water content increased. At the end of starvation the shrimp starved for more than 8 days showed significantly lower lipid, prot ein, and energy content and higher water content than the controls. After 3 2 days of refeeding no significant differences in water, protein, and energ y content were found between the starvation-satiation shrimp and the contro ls, except that lipid content of the shrimp starved for 1 or 12 days was st ill lower than that of the controls. The results of this study suggest that the shrimp regulate their appetite and growth rate in relation to their pr evious nutritional history.