Aquaculture and Fisheries Commons^™

The Relationship Of Food Conversion Efficiency And Growth Potential In Juvenile Mosquitofish, Gambusia Affinis, Joseph J. Cech Jr., Michael J. Massingill, Wayne A. Wurtsbaugh

Watershed Sciences Faculty Publications

New information concerning respiratory metabolic rates of juvenile mosquitofish (i = 915 mg 02 kg-1 h-1 at 20° C) was applied to existing data on mosquitofish respiration and combined with findings on growth and food consumption rates to determine percentages of net ingested energy used for growth and respiration over a 10- 35° C temperature range. The energy percentage used by mosquitofish for respiration was minimized at 25-30° C while that used for growth (= food conversion efficiency) was maximized at the same temperature. A calculated growth potential index, derived from an overall energy balance equation, was also maximized at …