Comparative stomach contents and growth of the juvenile black seabream, Acanthopagrus schlegeli, reared in illuminated and unilluminated cages.

The present study was designed to determine the positive effects of artificial illumination on the juvenile black seabream, Acanthopagrus schlegeli, by comparing stomach contents and growth between juveniles exposed to light and those maintained in the absence of light. The major prey items for juvenile black seabream reared in illuminated cages were amphipods (IRI%=50.5), copepods (IRI%=44.7) and polychaetes (IRI%=3.0), whereas those for the juveniles maintained in unilluminated cages were copepods (IRI%=96.0), amphipods (IRI%=3.4) and polychaetes (IRI%=0.6). The specific growth rates (SGR) of the juveniles reared in illuminated cages (0.99%) were significantly higher than those of the juveniles maintained in unilluminated cages (0.78%). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]