Ontogenetic variation of food intake and gut evacuation rate in larvae of the doncella Pseudoplatystoma punctifer,as measured using a non‐destructive method

Food intake (FI) and gut evacuation (Rg) were measured in larvae of Pseudoplatystoma punctifer (4.5–18.4 mm SL) fed Artemia nauplii, taking advantage of the translucence of their abdominal region to achieve this in a non‐destructive way, using digital photographs and mathematical reconstruction of gut volume content (ellipsoidal and cylindrical models for stomach and intestine respectively). The inaccuracy of the method, with reference to counts of nauplii following fish dissection, was low (2.9 ± 1.5%) and independent of fish size (P = 0.6153). Pigmentation hampered measurement in fish >18–19 mm SL. Anaesthesia was needed in fish >9.5 mm SL, thereby preventing the measurement of Rg in individual fish. The FI increased rapidly during the ontogeny, passing from <7% M at 0.6 mg, to 14% M at 1 mg and 21% M at 15–40 mg, and then decreased slightly in larger fish. At 28.5°C, Rg (% M h^?1) was modelled as Rg = ?8.22 + 12.11 log FI + 6.30 log M – 12.67 (log M)² (R² = 0.904, d.f. = 27, with FI in% M and M in mg). Extrapolations of Rg over 24 h gave estimates of daily food rations that fit well with those measured in cannibalistic P. punctifer.