With hopes of increasing the supply of farmed fish and providing more food for the burgeoning populations, researchers at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, are studying what happens in a fish's body when it eats.

Studies to find more energy efficient aquaculture for better fish fodder by researcher Henrik Seth from the University of Gothenburg's Department of Zoology have helped to increase understanding of the procedure of eating in general.


He explains that it has long been known that a number of changes take place in the body following food intake, including an increase in blood flow to the stomach and intestines. This happens in humans and other mammals as well as in fish. However, relatively little is known about the signals that trigger these changes and how they are regulated. Both the volume and the chemical composition of food play a role in how the body reacts.





"It might then be possible to enhance the growth of farmed fish, which would greatly increase the efficiency of fish farming with less waste of energy," says Seth.