Design and performance of an accurate demand feeder for the study of feeding behaviour in sea bass, Dicentrarchus labrax L.

A new demand feeder was designed for the automatic and accurate feeding of fish. The feeding device is microcomputer controlled and permits the continuous recording of feeding behaviour. The electromechanical feeder consists of a sliding door powered by a solenoid which provides only one weighed pellet when activated by the fish. Some preliminary results on feeding behaviour in sea bass are presented to test the efficiency of the feeder.