The Optimum Feeding Frequency in Growing Korean Rockfish (Sebastes schlegeli) Rearing at the Temperature of 15°C and 19°C

Two feeding trials were conducted to determine the optimum feeding frequency in growing Korean rockfish, (Sebastes schlegeli) reared at the temperatures of 15°C and 19°C. Fish averaging 92.2±0.7 g (mean±standard deviation [SD]) at 15.0±0.5°C and 100.2±0.4 g (mean±SD) at 19.0±0.5°C water temperature were randomly distributed into each of 15 indoor tanks containing 250-L sea water from a semi-recirculation system. A total of five feeding frequency groups were set up in three replicates as follows: one meal in a day at 08:00 hour, two meals a day at 08:00 and 17:00 hours, three meals a day at 08:00, 14:00, and 20:00 hours, four meals a day at 08:00, 12:00, 16:00, and 20:00 hours, and one meal every 2 days at 08:00 hour. Fish were fed at the rate of 1.2% body weight (BW)/d at 15°C and 1.5% BW/d at 19°C. At the end of 8 wks of feeding trial weight gain and specific growth rate were significantly higher at the fish fed groups of one meal a day and two meals a day at 15°C and fish fed groups of 1 meal every 2 days at 19°C were significantly lower than those of all other fish fed groups. Glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase and glutamic pyruvic transaminase of fish fed group at 1 meal every 2 days was significantly higher than those of all other fish fed groups in both experiments. Weight gain, specific growth rate and condition factor were gradually decreased as the feeding frequency increased. The results indicate that growing Korean rockfish 92 and 100 g perform better at 15°C than 19°C water temperature. As we expected, current results have indicated that a feeding frequency of 1 meal a day is optimal for the improvement of weight gain in growing Korean rockfish grown from 92 g to 133 g at 15°C and 100 g to 132 g at 19°C water temperature.