Fish Feeding -function
Herbivores
< 5% of all bony fishes,
< 5% of all bony fishes,
no cartilaginous fishes
no cartilaginous fishes
browsers - selective -
browsers - selective -
eat only the plant
eat only the plant
grazers - less
grazers - less
selective - include
selective - include
sediments
sediments
Detritivores
5 - 10% of all species
5 - 10% of all species
feed on decomposing
feed on decomposing
organic matter
organic matter
Fish Feeding –function
More Carnivores
fish feeders
fish feeders
active pursuit
active pursuit
stalking
stalking
ambushing
ambushing
luring
luring
Feeding
behavior
Fish showversatility
in prey choice and
ingestion
Behavior tightly
linked to
morphology
(co-evolution)
(co-evolution)
8.
Fish feeding behavior
Behavior tends to be optimizing
when choices are available
Optimal
Optimal = maximize
= maximize benefit:cost ratio
benefit:cost ratio
More for less!
More for less!
Select the prey that yields the
Select the prey that yields the
greatest energetic or nutrient
greatest energetic or nutrient
“return” on the energy invested in
“return” on the energy invested in
search, pursuit, capture, and
search, pursuit, capture, and
ingestion
ingestion
9.
Fish digestive physiology
After ingestion of food, gut is responsible for:
Digestion
Digestion - breaking down food into small,
- breaking down food into small,
simple molecules
simple molecules
involves use of acids, enzymes
involves use of acids, enzymes
Absorption
Absorption - taking molecules into blood
- taking molecules into blood
diffusion into mucosal cells
diffusion into mucosal cells
phagocytosis/pinocytosis by mucosal cells
phagocytosis/pinocytosis by mucosal cells
active transport via carrier molecules
active transport via carrier molecules
Fish Digestive Morphology:
MajorDivisions
Mouth
Esophagus
Pharynx
Stomach
Intestine
Rectum
Secretory glands (liver and pancreas)
often difficult to distinguish
14.
Gastrointestinal Tract
Gastrointestinal Tract
Esophagus
Stomach
large in carnivores,
large in carnivores,
small in
small in
herbivores/omnivo
herbivores/omnivo
res
res
Pyloric caeca
Intestine
short in carnivores,
short in carnivores,
long in herbivores-
long in herbivores-
omnivores
omnivores
Anus - separate from
urogenital pore
Digestive Anatomy:
Mouth/Esophagus
Channelcatfish: large mouth/esophagus, capture
prey, slightly predaceous, mouth has no teeth, no
gizzard/cardiac sphincter
Common carp: small mouth for bottom feeding,
pharyngeal teeth, grinds food
Tilapia: combination of bottom feeder, predator,
efficient plankton feeder, uses gill rakers,
pharyngeal mucous
17.
Digestive Anatomy:
Stomach
Channelcatfish: have true stomach that
secretes HCl and pepsinogen (enzyme)
Common carp: no stomach; however,
“bulb” at anterior end of digestive tract,
bile and pancreatic secretions empty into
intestine posterior to cardiac sphincter, no
secretion of gastrin (low pH)
Tilapia: modified stomach, secretes HCl,
well-defined pocket, pH varies w/digestal
flow, has pyloric sphincter
18.
Digestive Anatomy:
Intestine
Channelcatfish: length less than whole
body, no large/small version, slightly basic
pH, digestive secretions, nutrient
absorption, many folds for absorption
Common carp: digestive tract is 3x whole
body length, similar in activity to that of
channel catfish
Tilapia: tract is 6-8x that of body length,
activities similar to that of other species
19.
Digestive Anatomy: Liver
andPancreas
Both organs produce digestive secretions
Liver produces bile but is also the primary
organ for synthesis, detoxification and
storage of many nutrients
Pancreas is primary source of digestive
enzymes in most animals
It also produces zymogens (precursors to
enzymes)
20.
Fish Digestive Physiology
Digestion is accomplished in
Stomach
Stomach
low pH - HCl, other acids (2.0 for some
low pH - HCl, other acids (2.0 for some
tilapia!)
tilapia!)
proteolytic enzymes (mostly pepsin)
proteolytic enzymes (mostly pepsin)
21.
Digestive Processes:
Stomach
Catfishas an example - its digestive processes are
similar to that of most monogastric animals
Food enters stomach, neural and hormonal
processes stimulate digestive secretions
As stomach distends, parietal cells in lining secrete
gastrin, assisting in digestion
Gastrin converts the zymogen pepsinogen to pepsin
(a major proteolytic enzyme)
Some fish have cirulein instead of gastrin
22.
Digestive Processes:
Stomach
Flowof digesta out of stomach is
controlled by the pyloric sphincter
Pepsin has pH optimum and lyses protein
into small peptides for easier absorption
Minerals are solubilized; however, no lipid
or COH is modified
Mixture of gastric juices, digesta, mucous
is known as chyme
23.
Fish Digestive Physiology
Digestion is accomplished in
Stomach
Stomach
Intestine
Intestine
alkaline pH (7.0 - 9.0)
alkaline pH (7.0 - 9.0)
proteolytic enzymes - from pancreas &
proteolytic enzymes - from pancreas &
intestine
intestine
amylases (carbohydrate digestion) - from
amylases (carbohydrate digestion) - from
pancreas & intestine
pancreas & intestine
lipases (lipid digestion) - from pancreas &
lipases (lipid digestion) - from pancreas &
liver (gall bladder, bile duct)
liver (gall bladder, bile duct)
24.
Digestive Processes:
Intestine
Chymeentering the small intestine stimulates
secretions from the pancreas and gall bladder (bile)
Bile contains salts, cholesterol, phospholipids,
pigments, etc.
Pancreatic secretions include bicarbonates which
buffer acidity of the chyme
Zymogens for proteins, COH, lipids, chitin and
nucleotides are secreted
e.g., enterokinase (trypsinogen --> trypsin)
Others: chymotrypsin, carboxypeptidase,
aminopeptidase, chitinase
25.
Digestive Processes:
Intestine
Digestionof carbohydrates is via
amylase, which hydrolyzes starch
Others: nuclease, lipase
Cellulase: interesting in that it is not
secreted by pancreas, but rather
produced by gut bacteria
Note: intestinal mucosa also secretes
digestive enzymes
26.
Fish digestive physiology
Absorption is accomplished in
Intestine
Intestine
diffusion into mucosal cells
diffusion into mucosal cells
phagocytosis/pinocytosis by mucosal cells
phagocytosis/pinocytosis by mucosal cells
active transport via carrier molecules
active transport via carrier molecules
27.
Digestive processes:
Absorption
Mostnutrient absorption occurs in the intestine
Cross-section of the intestinal luma shows that it
is highly convoluted, increasing surface area
Absorption through membrane is either by
passive diffusion (concentration gradient)
Or by active transport (requires ATP)
Or via pinocytosis (particle engulfed)
Nutrients absorbed by passive diffusion include:
electrolytes, monosaccharides, some vitamins,
smaller amino acids
28.
Digestive processes:
absorption
Proteinsare absorbed primarily as amino
acids, dipeptides or tripeptides
triglycerides are absorbed as micelles
COH’s absorbed as monosaccharides (e.g.,
glucose, except for crustaceans)
calcium and phosphorus are usually
complexed together for absorption
all nutrients, excluding some lipids, are
absorbed from the intestine via the hepatic
portal vein to the liver
Fish Nutritional Needs
High protein diet:
Carnivores - 40 - 55% protein needed
Carnivores - 40 - 55% protein needed
Omnivores - 28 - 35% protein needed
Omnivores - 28 - 35% protein needed
Birds & mammals - 12 - 25% protein needed
Birds & mammals - 12 - 25% protein needed
10 essential amino acids (PVT. TIM HALL)
10 essential amino acids (PVT. TIM HALL)
31.
Fish Nutritional Needs
High protein diet
Why so high?
Proteins needed for growth of new tissue
Proteins needed for growth of new tissue
Proteins moderately energy-dense (don’t
Proteins moderately energy-dense (don’t
need dense source - ectotherms, low gravity)
need dense source - ectotherms, low gravity)
Few side-effects - ease of NH
Few side-effects - ease of NH4
4
+
+
excretion
excretion
32.
Nutritional efficiency in
fishes
Fish more efficient than other
vertebrates:
Conversion factor = kg feed required
Conversion factor = kg feed required
to produce 1 kg growth in fish flesh
to produce 1 kg growth in fish flesh
Fishes: 1.7 - 5.0
Fishes: 1.7 - 5.0
Birds & mammals: 5.0 - 15.0
Birds & mammals: 5.0 - 15.0
33.
Nutritional efficiency in
fishes
Fish more efficient than other
vertebrates
Why?
Ectothermy vs. endothermy
Ectothermy vs. endothermy
Energy/matter required to
Energy/matter required to
counterbalance gravity
counterbalance gravity
Bias of a high-protein diet
Bias of a high-protein diet
34.
Nutritional efficiency
Maintenanceration (MR) = the amount of food
needed to remain alive, with no growth or
reproduction (% body wt./day)
MR is temperature-dependent
MR increases as temperature increases
MR increases as temperature increases
MR is size-dependent
MR decreases as size increases
MR decreases as size increases