Feeding habits and digestive physiology of fishes

Abstract

This chapter provides basic information on the feeding habits and behavior, and physiology of fishes and crustaceans. The mechanisms that control the movement and digestion of food, methods of assessing digestibility of feed, factors affecting digestion and absorption of food nutrients, and feeding processes in fish are discussed. An understanding of the feeding habits, feeding mechanisms, and the digestion and absorption processes can help fish farmers and nutritionists maximize the use of feed. The rate at which fish digest their food is of primary importance in determining feeding rates, frequency, and ration size. Knowledge of the digestive physiology of fish is also necessary for an effective feed formulation and in choosing a proper feeding regime.

This chapter aims to teach the reader: the feeding habits and behavior of fishes and crustaceans; the structural adaptation in the anatomy of the digestive tract; the various organs of the digestive systems of fishes and crustaceans and their functions; nutrient digestion and absorption by fishes and the fate of digested and undigested food; the factors that affect the rate of digestion and absorption; and the feeding process in fish.