The objectives of the study were to investigate the effect of a feeding stimulant on feeding adaptation of gibel carp (Carassius auratus gibelio Bloch) fed diets with replacement of ¢sh meal by meat and bone meal (MBM), and whether or not the juvenile gibel carp could adapt to higher MBM level in the diet. Juvenile and adult gibel carp were tested. Two and one replacement levels were used for juvenile and adult ¢sh respectively. Each group of diets was set as two types with or without a unique rare earth oxide: Y 2 O 3 , Yb 2 O 3 , La 2 O 3 , Sm 2 O 3 , Nd 2 O 3 or Gd 2 O 3 (only the ¢rst four rare earth oxides were used in adult diets) for four adaptation periods of 3,7,14 and 28 days respectively. After mixing, an equal mixture of all six diets for juvenile or four diets for adult was o¡ered in excess for 2 days. During the last 2 days of each experiment, no feed was o¡ered and faeces from each tank were collected. Feeding preference was expressed as relative feed intake of each diet, which was estimated based on the relative concentration of each marker in the faeces.Given some adaptation period, such as 3^28 days, the e¡ects of MBM and squid extract inclusion on the preference to each diet were reduced. After 28 days adaptation, the preferences between groups were not signi¢cantly di¡erent.