The Effects of Starvation and Reduced Diet on the Growth of Scales in Goldfish

Abstract

The growth in body and scale was observed in goldfish (Carassius auratus L.) kept totally starved and fed with reduced diet.
In the starved fish, although all individuals of 1-year fish died during the period of experiment, 2-year fish survived. The scale absorption that took place in the starvation group was classified into 7 grades from A₀ to A₆. The absorption was heavier in the 1-year fish than in the 2-year fish, and more in the ventral scales than in the dorsal scales. The absorption of scales under starvation and its subsequent growth under more favorable conditions mark a discontinuous pattern which may perhaps be a scale ring.
In the reduced diet group, the fish gained slightly in body length, and lost weight after 30 days of the experiment. The relative reduction in growth was heavier in body length than in the scales, and in the ventral scales than in the dorsal scales. The augmentation of the circulus number was reduced similarity as was the case with the growth of scale radius. The narrowings of circulus intervals observed were too slight to form any remarkable scale rings.