Consumption, growth and evacuation in the Pacific cod, Gadus macrocephalus

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Abstract
Growth of Pacific cod was related to energy consumption (cal g−1 day−1) and was well described by linear equations. Maintenance ration was 11 and 12 cal g−1 day−1 at 4.5 and 6.5° C, respectively. Cod between 200 and 5000 g had similar growth rates when growth was expressed as a function of consumption (cal g−1 day−1). Laboratory consumption of food averaged 0.9 and 1.3% body weight per day at 4.5 and 6.5° C, respectively. At these temperatures growth was 0.34–0.38% body weight day−1.Maximum stomach volumes equated to approximately 4.7% of body weight with shrimp as prey. At this meal size Pacific cod did not feed the next day. A multiple meal evacuation experiment was used to verify the consumption estimates. A return‐to‐hunger estimate of the meal size evacuated was 1.5% body weight day−1 at 6.5° C, similar to the 1.3% consumption estimate. For Pacific cod fed a single meal of 1% body weight the estimated instantaneous evacuation rate was 0.63 body weight day−1 at 6.5° C. Meal size markedly affected the evacuation rate.Measured consumption and growth rates are similar to those of Atlantic cod, Gadus morhua.