Effects of food quality on swimming activity and food utilization in the air-breathing fish Ophiocephalus striatus

Abstract

In cylindrical aquaria, liver fed O. striatus increased surfacing from 1104 times at 2.5 cm depth to 1738 times/day at 40 cm depth. Due to the sustained surfacing. O. striatus "hung" to the surface 20 times for 1 h/day in the former and 27 times for 3.2 h/day in the latter. Feeding increased from 24 to 40 mg/g.day, assimilation 24 to 34 mg/g•day and metabolism 0.5 to.1.1 ml O2 uptake/g•h in these groups.