Energy requirements for maintenance and growth of captive harbour seals, Phoca vitulina

Abstract

Four captive harbour seals were fed with herring both at restricted and at ad libitum levels during 1985 to 1988. The maintenance requirement, calculated from the x-intercept of the regression, was 194 ± 71 kcal∙kg body weight−0.75∙day−1. Assuming that metabolizable energy is 82.8% of gross energy, the maintenance requirement is 161 kcal∙kg body weight−0.75∙day−1. There was no significant difference in maintenance requirement between individuals or between age classes, and neither was there any significant difference between seasons. The gross energy requirement of growth was 909 kcal/100 g.