Compensatory growth, feed intake and body composition of Labeo rohita fingerlings following feed deprivation.

Abstract

Ten‐week study was performed on Labeo rohita fingerlings (av. wt. 3.75 ± 0.06 g) to investigate the nature of compensatory growth. Fingerlings were deprived of food for 0 (control), 1 (D1), 2 (D2) or 3 (D3) weeks and refed to satiation for 5 weeks. The feed deprivation was carried out in D3 group on week 3, 4 and 5; D2 group on week 4 and 5; D1 group on week 5, and refeeding of all the groups were started from week 6 onwards. The D1 and D2 groups caught up in body weight with that of control fish within 2 weeks and 4 weeks of refeeding, respectively, but the D3 group had significantly (P < 0.05) lower body weight than the control after 5 weeks of refeeding. Higher growth efficiency was observed in all the feed deprived groups in the 1st week of refeeding only. Feed intake in D1 group became similar with the control after 5 weeks of refeeding, but the D2 and D3 groups were still hyperphagic when the experiment terminated. Thus, compensatory growth was due to hyperphagia and improved growth efficiency. In conclusion, complete compensatory growth was observed in L. rohita fingerlings after feed deprivation of 1 and 2 weeks.