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Biochemical correlates of growth rate in fish

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Fish Ecophysiology

Part of the book series: Chapman & Hall Fish and Fisheries Series ((FIFI,volume 9))

Abstract

There are a number of reasons for attempting to correlate fish growth rates with measurable characteristics of the animals’ tissues. On one level, the recent increase in understanding of the rates of protein turnover underlying protein accretion has been accompanied by a number of studies demonstrating that rates of protein synthesis are closely correlated with the synthetic capacity of the tissue. This chapter reviews these correlates of protein synthesis at a time when we are expanding our knowledge about the ways in which different fish species in different environments manipulate the rates of protein synthesis and degradation to generate growth rates. The commercial importance of fish growth to Man’s well-being provides an equally forceful impetus for studying mechanisms of growth. There is a need to expand our understanding of the mechanisms controlling the growth rate of fish, so that decisions can be made when attempting selection programmes to improve growth performance or efficiency of food conversion or when selecting genes for transgenesis. In addition, there is a need for suitable markers which will indicate the recent growth rates of larvae, juvenile and adult fish caught from natural populations.

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Authors
  1. D. F. Houlihan
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  2. E. M. Mathers
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  3. A. Foster
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Biologisk Institut, Odense Universitet, Campusvej 55, DK-5230, Odense M, Denmark

    J. Cliff Rankin

  2. Institute of Biology, Odense University, DK-5230, Odense M, Denmark

    Frank B. Jensen

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© 1993 Chapman & Hall

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Houlihan, D.F., Mathers, E.M., Foster, A. (1993). Biochemical correlates of growth rate in fish. In: Rankin, J.C., Jensen, F.B. (eds) Fish Ecophysiology. Chapman & Hall Fish and Fisheries Series, vol 9. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-2304-4_2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-2304-4_2

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

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