Summary
Adult maleBlennius pholis were kept (a) isolated or (b) with visual contact to a male conspecific. For six weeks the fish were fed with a ration corresponding to 5% of their body weight daily. The weight of the fish was recorded weekly.
Fish with visual contact to a conspecific had a lower rate of growth, a lower food conversion efficiency, a lower liver weight, a higher water content of the muscle tissue, a lower percentage of glycogen in the liver tissue, and a lower amount of glycogen stored in the liver per g body weight.
Fish which could see a larger conspecific and fish which could see a smaller conspecific did not grow at different rates. The size difference between the confronted animals was not correlated to the growth of either of them.
The result is discussed from the bioenergetic and the endocrinological point of view.
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I whish to express my gratitude to Prof. G. E. Fogg for his hospitality at the Marine Science Laboratories, Menai Bridge, and to Dr. D. J. Grove for many helpfull discussions. Sincere thanks also to Mrs. P. J. Hannant, N. E. R. C. Unit, Marine Science Laboratories Menai Bridge, who did the glycogen and free glucose analyses.
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Wirtz, P. Physiological effects of visual contact to a conspecific inBlennius pholis (Pisces, Teleostei). J. Comp. Physiol. 101, 237–242 (1975). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00657184
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00657184