title: Plasticity in response to feed availability: Does feeding regime influence the relative growth performance of domesticated, wild and hybrid Atlantic salmon Salmo salar parr?
abstract: Growth of farmed, wild and F1 hybrid Atlantic salmon parr Salmo salar was investigated under three contrasting feeding regimes in order to understand how varying levels of food availability affects relative growth. Treatments consisted of standard hatchery feeding (ad libitum), access to feed for 4 h every day, and access to feed for 24 h on three alternate days weekly. Mortality was low in all treatments, and food availability had no effect on survival of all groups. The offspring of farmed S. salar significantly outgrew the wild S. salar, while hybrids displayed intermediate growth. Furthermore, the relative growth differences between the farmed and wild S. salar did not change across feeding treatments, indicating a similar plasticity in response to feed availability. Although undertaken in a hatchery setting, these results suggest that food availability may not be the sole driver behind the observed reduced growth differences found between farmed and wild fishes under natural conditions.
authors.affiliation: Molecular Ecology and Fisheries Genetics Laboratory, School of Biological Sciences, Bangor University, Deiniol Road, Bangor, LL57 2UW, U.K.
authors.forename: A C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Harvey
authors.affiliation: Institute of Marine Research, P. O. Box 1870, Nordnes, NO-5817, Bergen, Norway.
authors.forename: M F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Solberg
authors.affiliation: Institute of Marine Research, P. O. Box 1870, Nordnes, NO-5817, Bergen, Norway.|Department of Biology, Sea Lice Research Centre, University of Bergen, P. O. Box 7803, N-5020, Bergen, Norway.
authors.forename: K A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Glover
authors.affiliation: School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, NR4 7TJ, Norwich, U.K.
authors.forename: M I
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Taylor
authors.affiliation: Molecular Ecology and Fisheries Genetics Laboratory, School of Biological Sciences, Bangor University, Deiniol Road, Bangor, LL57 2UW, U.K.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Creer
authors.affiliation: Molecular Ecology and Fisheries Genetics Laboratory, School of Biological Sciences, Bangor University, Deiniol Road, Bangor, LL57 2UW, U.K.
authors.forename: G R
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Carvalho
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000835:Animals, Wild / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000254:growth & development; D049628:Body Size; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D005248:Feeding Methods / Q000592:standards*; D005398:Fisheries; D020317:Salmo salar / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000254:growth & development*
keywords: escapees; farmed; food availability; genetic interaction; hybridisation; reaction norms