Currently cultured sole is produced from wild broodstock: the major economic constraint is its slow and often unpredictable growth, which is considered to be a consequence of its wild genetic background. In nature, flatfish spend long times buried in the sediment, probably to reduce predation risk. Individual variation in risk taking behaviour and activity (e.g., bold versus shy fish), may determine individual variation in feed intake and thereby growth.
The main objective of this PhD-proposal is to investigate the importance of (non-) feeding behavior of sole in relation to growth and environmental conditions and to assess the extend/degree of genotype by environment interaction. |
