The heat increment of feeding and heat loss relate to growth in Chinese shrimp, Fenneropenaeus chinensis (Osbeck 1765)

Three experiments were designed to investigate the heat increment of feeding (HiE) in Chinese shrimp, Fenneropenaeus chinensis. (1) Four groups of shrimp with different weight were fed at four rations to measure oxygen consumption in the following 24 h. (2) Four groups of shrimp with different weight were fed with four rations for 28 days. (3) Fish flesh, shrimp flesh, clam foot, polychaette worm, formulated diet and mixed diet were provided to six groups of shrimp for 30 days. The coefficient of heat increment of feeding (CHiE) values within 24 h after ingesting 1 g digestible protein (DP) and 1 kJ digestible energy (DE) were 18.57 kJ and 0.45. CHiE values of 1 g DP and 1 kJ DE achieved in the second experiment were 25.06 kJ and 0.57. The energy cost of 1 g wet weight gain, 1 g protein gain and 1 kJ recovered energy were 13.94, 32.16 and 1.07 kJ. They accounted for 69.28%, 26.71% or 40.23% of HiE of the meals needed for these growths. The present results indicated that HiE was a fundamental property of the feed and the energy cost of growth accounted for different fraction when different feeds were ingested.