Effects of photoperiod and melatonin implants on feed intake in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) postsmolts

High melatonin concentrations were expected to negatively affect Atlantic salmon appetite. Hence, individually kept Atlantic salmon postsmolts were subjected to continuous light (24:0, L:L) or natural daylight (12:12, L:D) and then given intraperitoneal implants of slow release melatonin in a 2 by 2...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Published in:Italian Journal of Animal Science
Main Authors: Silvia Maiolo, Tom Hansen, Giuliana Parisi, Rolf Erik Olsen
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: Taylor & Francis Group 2015
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.4081/ijas.2015.4098
https://doaj.org/article/7430d767c1b8480d96ae985a59a3d340
Description
Summary:High melatonin concentrations were expected to negatively affect Atlantic salmon appetite. Hence, individually kept Atlantic salmon postsmolts were subjected to continuous light (24:0, L:L) or natural daylight (12:12, L:D) and then given intraperitoneal implants of slow release melatonin in a 2 by 2 factorial design. Possible effects on food intake were monitored over three weeks. In addition, a plasma melatonin assessment test was run in parallel to monitor diurnal blood levels of melatonin through the trial. The surgical intervention was effective, leading to a 10x increase in mean melatonin levels when compared to control fish, but neither the implant nor the change in daylight had any significant effect on feed intake, at least in the short term.