THE INTERACTIVE EFFECTS OF FEEDING AND EXERCISE ON OXYGEN CONSUMPTION, SWIMMING PERFORMANCE AND PROTEIN USAGE IN JUVENILE RAINBOW TROUT (ONCORHYNCHUS MYKISS)

摘要

The impacts of feeding on the rate of O-2 consumption ((M) over dot(O2)), aerobic swimming performance, nitrogenous waste excretion (ammonia-N and urea-N) and protein utilization as an aerobic fuel were investigated in juvenile rainbow trout. Feeding trout to satiation (in groups of 120) resulted in rapid growth and elevated routine (M) over dot(O2) by 68 % relative to fasted fish and by 30 % relative to trout fed a maintenance ration of 1 % of body mass daily, This in-tank (M) over dot(O2) of satiation-fed trout was approximately 70 % of the (M) over dot(O2max) observed at the critical swimming speed (U-Crit) when trials were performed on individual trout in swimming respirometers. Feeding increased (M) over dot(O2) at all swimming speeds; the absolute elevation (specific dynamic action or SDA effect) was dependent on ration but independent of swimming velocity. There was no difference in (M) over dot(O2max) at U-Crit amongst different ration treatments, but U-Crit was significantly reduced by 15 % in satiation-fed fish relative to fasted fish. These results suggest that the irreducible SDA load reduces swimming performance and that (M) over dot(O2max) is limited by the capacity to take up O-2 at the gills and/or to deliver O-2 through the circulatory system rather than by the capacity to consume O-2 at the tissues. Ammonia-N and urea-N excretion increased with protein intake, resulting in a 6.5-fold elevation in absolute protein use and a fourfold elevation in percentage use of protein as an aerobic fuel for routine metabolism in satiation-fed trout (50-70%) relative to fasted fish (15 %). Urea-N excretion increased greatly with swimming speed in all treatments, but remained a minor component of overall nitrogen excretion. However, even in satiation-fed fish, ammonia-N excretion remained constant as swimming speed increased, and protein did not become more important as a fuel source during exercise. These results suggest that the reliance on protein as a fuel is greatly dependent on feeding quantity (protein intake) and that protein is not a primary fuel for exercise as suggested by some previous studies. [References: 49]