Growth, feeding frequency, protein turnover, and amino acid metabolism in European lobster Homarus gammarus L.

• Published in: Journal of Experimental Zoology
• Main Authors: Mente, Eleni, Houlihan, Dominic F., Smith, Kerry
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Wiley 2001
• Subjects: European lobster; Homarus gammarus
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/jez.1023; https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1002%2Fjez.1023; https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/jez.1023

Abstract The effect of feeding frequency on growth and protein metabolism in the European lobster, Homarus gammarus , was investigated. Fourth (IV) stage lobsters H. gammarus were fed individually a marine animal meal (herring/mussels meal) for 56 days. Feeding a daily ration equivalent to 10% of their body weight gave better growth than feeding daily rations of 5% and 20%. Protein synthesis rates were similar for the three food rations but protein growth rates were significantly lower and protein degradation rates highest in the 5% body weight per day ration group. The efficiency with which synthesised protein was retained as growth was found to be 38% in the in the 10% ratio group. Protein synthesis rates of lobsters were found to be lower than those for shrimps ( Penaeus vannamei ). The amino acid flux also suggests a lower protein conversion efficiency than shrimps P. vannamei . The results suggests that lobsters are slow, periodic feeders and that growth can be readily increased by manipulation of particular environmental factors such as feeding frequency. J. Exp. Zool. 289:419–432, 2001 . © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.