ABSTRACT
The aim of the present study was to evaluate the different feeding frequencies on the performance, hematology profile, daily rhythms of glucose and activities digestive enzymes for juvenile Lophiosilurus alexandri. Feeding frequency did not affect survival, final weight, daily weight gain (P > .05). Glucose showed a daily rhythmic variation, with the acrophase in the group F2 located at Zeitgeber Time (ZT) 12.51 h and at ZT 13.33 h in the group F5. The daily rhythms in digestive enzymes were also affected, especially chymotrypsin, whose activity was twofold higher in F5 than F2. Food ratio divided into a higher frequency along the day induces an increase in acid protease and chymotrypsin activities. Different feeding frequencies can influence hematology profile, daily rhythms of glucose and activities digestive enzymes. The production of juvenile L. alexandri can be successfully carried out adopting a feeding frequency of twice a day.
Availability of data and material
The data that support the findings of this study are available from the first author, Lucas Pedro Gonçalves Junior upon reasonable request.
Code availability
Not applicable
Consent to participle
All names in the author list have been involved in various stages of experimentation or writing.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.
Ethics approval
Two experiments were carried out at the Laboratório de Aquacultura (Laqua) of the Escola de Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), according to the methodology approved by Ethical Commission on Animal Use – CEUA (protocols 31/2011 and 230/2016).