The aim of this study was to investigate the growth and energy allocation responses of juvenile brown flounder, , to a period of limited dissolved oxygen (DO) supply and recovery. This information is important to understand the adaptive strategy of brown flounder to fluctuations in DO. Juvenile brown flounder were kept in a recirculating system and the DO supply was limited by controlling the water velocity. Two experiments were designed to measure the growth responses and energy allocation. Across a wide range of DO (2.24-6.94 mg/L), the body weight, daily growth coefficient, feeding rate, and feed conversion efficiency (in wet weight) were positively related to DO (<0.05). Individual energy ingestion decreased as the DO level decreased, and the highest percentages of growth energy were recorded at a DO level of 5.38 mg/L. Energy of feces increased and energy of excretion also increased slightly as the DO level decreased. The energy of metabolism decreased as the DO level decreased, then increased when the DO level fell below 5.38 mg/L. Energy allocation to metabolism was minimal at DO 5.38 mg/L (37.66%). For energy allocation per 1 g body weight, all parameters were positively related to DO and increased as the DO level increased. The growth of juvenile brown flounder was depressed during 10 d in low-DO conditions[2 mg/L(S₂) and 4 mg/L (S₄)]. However, when the fish kept in low-DO conditions were transferred to control conditions, their body weight recovered to that of control fish within 10 d. Compared with the fish in the control, those kept in low-DO conditions showed a higher feeding rate during the recovery period and slightly higher feed conversion efficiency. There were no significant differences among the different treatments in energy ingestion, growth energy, and energy of metabolism during the recovery period (>0.05). However, compared with control fish, the fish kept in low-DO conditions showed slightly higher energy ingestion and growth energy, and slightly lower energy of metabolism. Energy of excretion was lower in the S₂ group than in the other groups. Low DO levels decreased the feeding rate and feed conversion efficiency of juvenile brown flounder by depressing the energy supply, leading to depressed growth. These results show that juvenile brown flounder can adapt well to a short period of low DO, and completely compensate for the growth depression in a short period of recovery by improving their feeding rate.