The metabolic effects of feeding and fasting in beluga Huso huso.

A six week-study was conducted to determine the effect of starvation and feeding on growth, hematology and biochemical variables in sub-yearling beluga. Fish were placed on six feeding strategies: i) starved condition for 6 weeks, ii) a 2-week starvation, 2-week feeding and 2-week starvation, iii) a 2-week feeding, 2-week starvation and 2-week feeding, iv) a 3-week starvation followed by a 3-week feeding, v) a 3-week feeding with following 3-week starvation, and vi) fed throughout the 6 weeks. After 6 weeks, hematology, triacylglycerol, cholesterol, total protein, HSI, VSI, crude fat in muscle, final weight, feed conversion, specific growth rate, and condition factor were significantly affected by feeding strategies. The results suggested that most of the growth and physiological variables responded to a short period of starvation or re-feeding. These findings indicated that beluga could partially recover in weight and some physiological indices from periods of starvation when provided subsequently ad libitum feeding.