Video Surveillance Methods to Evaluate Individual Feeding Response in Rainbow Trout (oncorhynchus Mykiss, Walbaum)—implications for Feeding Regime Optimisation

Precisely analysing and optimising feeding regimes is central to salmonid growth performance and delivery of special diets. The current study developed novel video surveillance methods and analysis techniques to assess individual feed intake and minimum pellet intake (MPI) in individually identified juvenile rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss. Three trials were conducted to test the impact of short-term starvation ( N =112 [16 tanks, 7 fish per tank], average weight=27.1±3.4g, age= 119 days), portion numbers per feeding ( N =105 [15 tanks, 7 fish per tank], average weight=22.8±2.1g, age= 99 days) and varied numbers of daily feeding events ( N =84 [12 tanks, 7 fish per tank], average weight=32.4±3.3g, age= 133 days). All trails were carried out in a recirculating aquaculture system with 20 tanks held at 15 ± 0.5°C. All individuals were code-tagged and high quality video images were taken and analysed to identify all feeding interactions. Individual trout feeding activity under different feeding regimes could be precisely analysed with the video methods developed. Moving from one to two daily feeding events doubled pellet intake per fish from 27.4 ± 5.8 to 52.8 ± 11.5 pellets. Pellet intake (58.8 ± 24.2 pellets) did not increase at three daily feeding events but became more variable across fish. MPI nearly doubled to 30 pellets in fish receiving two daily feeding events (MPI 30 : chi-squared = 8.74, df = 2, p = 0.01). Short-term starvation had no influence on intake (28 ± 8 pellets/fish) or MPI. Increasing portion number from one (27.8 ± 7.4 pellets fish −1 ) to two (31.1 ± 7.4 pellets fish −1 ) or more did not significantly increase the number of ingested pellets. Adjusting the feeding regime by increasing daily feeding events to two, possibly combined with multiple portions, can increase pellet intake and reduce the heteroscedasticity of pellet intake. The methods presented in this study are viable for analysing feeding regimes for juvenile rainbow trout and controlled feedstock/supplement delivery. Implications for analyses with other species and for vaccination optimisation are discussed.