Abstract
This study investigated the effects of fasting and feeding on the fast‐start escape swimming performance of juvenile southern catfish Silurus meridionalis , a sit‐and‐wait forager that encounters extreme fasting and famine frequently during its lifespan. Ten to 30 days of fasting resulted in no significant change in most of the variables measured in the fast‐start response except a 20–30% decrease in the escape distance during the first 120 ms ( D 120ms ) relative to the control group (48 h after feeding). The ratio of the single‐bend ( SB ) response (lower energetic expenditure) to the double‐bend ( DB ) response increased significantly from 0% in the control group to 75 and 82·5% in the 20 and 30 day fasting groups, respectively. Satiated feeding (25% of body mass) resulted in a significantly lower (36·6%) maximum linear velocity ( V max ) and a significantly lower (43·3%) D 120ms than in non‐fed fish (control group, 48 h after feeding). Half‐satiated feeding (12·5% of body mass), however, showed no significant effects on any of the measured variables of the fast‐start response relative to control fish. It is suggested that the increase in the ratio of SB : DB responses with fasting in S. meridionalis may reflect a trade‐off between energy conservation and maintaining high V max , while variables of fast‐start performance were more sensitive to feeding than fasting might be an adaptive strategy to their foraging mode and food availability in their habitat.