<p>Compensatory growth is a phenomenon in which growth suppressed by fasting or nutritional restriction is transiently accelerated upon subsequent refeeding, offering potential applications for improving aquaculture efficiency. However, in fish acquaculture, maturation leads to a decline in commercial value, making the balanced control of growth and maturation a critical challenge. In this study, we used zebrafish (<i>Danio rerio</i>) as a model organism, subjecting them to 1 week of fasting followed by 6 weeks of refeeding to investigate the effects of fasting and refeeding on growth and maturation. We found that the resumption of feeding in the fasting group resulted in growth acceleration, with body weight and length ultimately reaching values equivalent to those of the control group. Also, comprehensive transcriptome analysis of gene expression changes in the liver and muscle tissue during fasting and after the resumption of feeding suggested that fasting activates metabolic and growth suppression pathways. Following the resumption of feeding, metabolic reprogramming was found to be induced, contributing to the initiation of compensatory growth. Furthermore, the expression dynamics of maturation-related genes indicated that fasting may temporarily suppress the maturation progression. These findings provide important insights into the molecular mechanisms regulating energy allocation between growth and maturation.</p>