INFLUENCE OF THE FEEDING LEVEL ON GROWTH, FEED CONVERSION, PROTEIN EFFICIENCY AND CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF JUVENILE EUROPEAN SEA‐BASS (Dicentrarchus labrax)

ABSTRACT Three experiments were carried out in which young European sea‐bass (average initial weight from 9 to 29 g) were submitted to different restricted food intakes based upon standard lots fed ad libitum. Growth always improved with increasing food intake, but tended to reach a plateau. Body and nutritional parameters improved when food intake decreased to 70–80% of the ad libitum level. Chemical body composition was rather constant. Only lipids were clearly affected by food intake, increasing with it. Food chemical composition greatly influenced body composition. When diets contained a high level of protein and a low level of carbohydrate, fat deposition in various parts of the body decreased significantly.