USE OF FRESH AND PRESERVED TETRASELMIS SUECICA FOR FEEDING CRASSOSTREA GIGAS LARVAE

R. Robert, G. Parisi, L. Rodolfi, B.M. Poli, M.R. Tredici-2001

Aquaculture, 192 (2-4): 333-346
Abstract:

In an attempt to provide cost-effective alternative diets and to simplify hatchery--nursery procedures, substitutes for live microalgae in mariculture were tested and among them, concentrated microalgae have so far appeared to be the best alternative products for bivalves, though there are few experimental studies. The food quality of fresh and preserved Tetraselmis suecica for umboned Crassostrea gigas larvae was studied here and its potential as an algal feed for remote production was evaluated.

Because it leads to lower growth and higher mortalities than the control diets (>60%), the use of T. suecica OR (strain Orbetello) for C. gigas larvae is not recommended as a monospecific diet. However, a binary diet that includes T. suecica OR is as efficient as the standard ternary PTC diet for C. gigas larvae. On the other hand, even though microalgal utilisation was not clearly affected by the initial size of the larvae, it seemed that old umboned larvae took full advantage of T. suecica OR. Its usefulness in C. gigas larval rearing is therefore limited, but its potential for oyster spat feeding has to be considered. Lastly, preservation at low temperature is an efficient method to maintain the food value of T. suecica OR.

(Laboratoire de Physiologie des Invertébrés Marins, IFREMER, Centre de Brest, ZI de la Pointe du Diable, BP 70, Plouzané 29280, France, tel : +33-2-98.22.47.64, fax : +33-2-98.22.46.53, e-mail : rrobert@ifremer.fr)
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