A variable growth rate modification of von Bertalanffy's equation for aquaculture

Abstract

Abstract. In aquaculture experiments of only a few months'duration, fish can approach their asymptotic size and growth rates may change greatly. One objective of aquaculture is to obtain a maximum economic return, and a growth model is needed to relate rate of growth to food consumption and other costs to find the optimum duration of growth cycles. Von Bertalanffy's equation is an asymptotic growth model which can be used for this purpose. A variable growth rate model was developed to describe fish growth oscillations observed in aquaculture experiments. This growth model provides improved estimates of von Bertalanffy's equation in aquaculture and can be used for an efficient evaluation of fish production during production cycles.