Under conditions of simultaneous access to food of unbalanced nutrient composition, fish learn to consume those diet components that provide their energetic and nutritional needs. In trophic ecology and ethology, this form of dietary behaviour is named dietary self-selection or macronutrient self-selection.

In the bibliographic list given below, you will find the basic references allowing to learn the main aspects of this phenomenon. In fishing, for example, the right design of baits, lures and groundbaits is impossible without deep knowledge in this area.

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Basic References

Almaida-Pagán P.F., Rubio V.C., Mediola P., De Costa J., Madrid J.A. 2006. Macronutrient selection through post-ingestive signals in sharpsnout seabream fed gelatine capsules and challenged with protein dilution. Physiology & Behavior 88, 550-558

Aranda A., Sánchez-Vázquez F.J., Zamora S., Madrid J.A. 2000. Self-design of fish diets by means of self-feeders: validation of procedures. Journal of Physiology and Biochemistry 56, 155-166.

Aranda A., Sánchez-Vázquez F.J., Madrid J.A. 2001. Effect of short-term fasting on macronutrient self-selection in sea bass. Physiology & Behavior 73, 105-109

Geurden I., Cuvier A., Gondouin E., Olsen R.E., Ruohonen K., Kaushik S., Boujard T. 2005. Rainbow trout can discriminate between feeds with different oil sources. Physiology & Behavior 85, 107-114

Huntingford F., Jobling M., Kadri S. (Editors). 2012. Aquaculture and Behavior. Wiley-Blackwell, The Atrium, Southern Gate, Chichester, United Kingdom

Moore B., Marsh K., Wallis I. 2005. Taught by animals: how understanding diet selection leads to better zoo diets. International Zoo Yearbook 39, 43-61

Rubio V.C., Sánchez-Vázquez F.J., Madrid J.A. 2003. Macronutrient selection through postingestive signals in sea bass fed on gelatine capsules. Physiology & Behavior 78, 795-803

Rubio V.C., Sánchez-Vázquez F.J., Madrid J.A. 2005. Fish macronutrient selection through post-ingestive signals: Effect of selective macronutrient deprivation. Physiology & Behavior 84, 651-657

Rubio V.C., Boluda Navarro D., Madrid J.A., Sánchez-Vázquez F.J. 2009. Macronutrient self-selection in Solea senegalensis fed macronutrient diets and challenged with dietary protein dilutions. Aquaculture 291, 95-100

Sánchez-Vázquez F.J., Yamamoto T., Akiyama T., Madrid J.A., Tabata, M. 1998. Selection of macronutrients by goldfish operating self-feeders. Physiology and Behavior 65, 211–218

Sánchez-Vázquez F.J., Yamamoto T., Akiyama T., Madrid J.A., Tabata M., 1999. Macronutrient self-selection through demand-feeders in rainbow trout. Physiology & Behavior 66, 45-51

Vivas M., Sánchez-Vázquez F.J., Garcia Garcia B., Madrid J.A. 2003. Macronutrient self-selection in European sea bass in response to dietary protein or fat restriction. Aquaculture Research 34, 271-280

Vivas M., Rubio V.C., Sánchez-Vázquez F.J., Mena C., Garcia Garcia B., Madrid J.A. 2006. Dietary self-selection in sharpsnout seabream (Diplodus puntazzo) fed paired macronutrient feeds and challenged with protein dilution. Aquaculture 251, 430-437

Yamamoto T., Shima T., Furuita H., Shiraishi M., Sánchez-Vázquez F.J., Tabata M. 2001. Influence of decreasing water temperature and shortening of the light phase on macronutrient self-selection by rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss and common carp Cyprinus carpio. Fisheries Science 67, 420-429

Yamamoto T., Shima T., Furuita H., Suzuki N. 2003. Effect of water temperature and short-term fasting on macronutrient self-selection by common carp (Cyprinus carpio). Aquaculture 220, 655-666