J. M. JACOBS, J. L. HOWE, M. HARRIS, W. VAN HEUKELEM, AND R. M. HARRELL, University of Maryland, Horn Point Environmental Laboratory, Cambridge, Maryland, 21613, USA

Feeding elicited metabolic response, often expressed as oxygen consumption, is a well documented phenomenon. However, response quantification for fish commonly raised in small ponds and tanks is lacking for many species. Oxygen consumption rates were determined for 300 - 500 gram striped bass Morone saxatilis fed a commercially prepared, high protein diet. Gross respiratory response was investigated utilizing a mass respiration chamber at standard culture temperature and salinity (24°C, 5ppt). Oxygen consumption increased 50% over starved, baseline values, for a duration of 24 to 48 hours. Magnitude and duration of the response appears to be linked with the quantity of food ingested. Quantification of the feeding response affords the opportunity for more accurate decisions on when to feed pond reared fish and when supplemental aeration is necessary to maintain mass oxygen balance. In addition, response duration suggests that a two day starvation period is sufficient for transportation of striped bass at optimal metabolic conditions.