The reduced growth performance at 34 °C could be attributed to the high rate of gastric evacuation, as reported by Elliot (1972) , who observed a positive correlation between water temperature and the rate of gastric evacuation in fish.
It has been suggested that higher temperature accelerates the rate of passing digesta through the intestinal tract, thus reducing the digestibility and assimilation of nutrients, signifying that at high temperature, physiological processes associated with digestion and nitrogen retention function are less efficient in fish.