Abstract
In Experiment 1, two groups, matched for body weight, were fed ad libitum and 1.5% of their body weight respectively for one week. All the animals were then fed ad lib for 21 days. In Experiment 2, three groups, matched for body weight, were fed 2%, 1%, and 0.5% of their body weight respectively for one week. All the animals were then fed ad lib for four days. On the first day of ad lib feeding, all animals that underwent restricted feeding became hyperphagic, with the animals in Experiment 1 ingesting food approximating 6% of their body weights, and the animals in Experiment 2 ingesting approximately 9% of their body weights. On all subsequent days, no further hyperphagia occurred. Food intake was dependent upon current body weight, with the animals in both experiments consuming about 2.5-4.5% of their body weights in food daily. No compensatory body weight growth was observed, either via above-average food intake or increased conversion efficiency. The causes and implications of the absence of compensatory growth in octopus were discussed.