Some observations on the effects of feeding frequency on the food intake and growth of plaice, Pleuronectes platessa L.

The segregation of plaice, Pleuronectes platessa , into groups of uniform size can be used to reduce the formation of size hierarchies, even under conditions of limited food supply. When access to food was limited the fish responded by becoming hyperphagic. This resulted in an increase in growth rate following an initial growth check. However, even after hyperphagic adaptation, intermittently fed fish grew at slower rates than those allowed more frequent access to food. Hyperphagia was accompanied by an increase in relative stomach weight and gastric capacity but did not affect fat storage and proximate chemical composition.