Flocculated
microalgae concentrates as diets for larvae of the tiger prawn Penaeus
monodon Fabricius
F.M.L. D'Souza, R.M. Knuckey, S. Hohmann,
R.C. Pendrey-2002
Aquaculture
Nutrition, 8(2) :
113-120
Abstract :
Fresh algal culture is a major bottleneck
in the aquaculture industry. Substitutes that are cost-effective and
simplify hatchery procedures, such as algae concentrates need to be
evaluated. Four species of alga -Chaetoceros muelleri, C.
calcitrans, a tropical Skeletonema sp. and Thalassiosira
pseudonana- were concentrated by flocculation, stored for 6 weeks
at 4°C and then compared with their fresh counterparts as feeds for Penaeus
monodon larvae. The algae were fed at either high or low cell densities
with no supplements.
Fresh C. muelleri promoted the
highest survival, greatest weight gain and fastest development to mysis 1.
Larvae fed this diet were twice as heavy as those fed most of the other
diets. Concentrated C. muelleri or T. pseudonana promoted
similar survival rates to that of larvae fed fresh C. muelleri
although development rates were slower. Larvae fed fresh C. calcitrans
had high survival and intermediate development, but those fed the
concentrate had very poor survival and development. Skeletonema sp.,
whether in the fresh or concentrated form, was a poor diet for prawn larvae:
it resulted in high mortality and slow development. Cell density did not
affect survival or dry weight of larvae but did affect development in some
cases. Flocculated algal concentrates show promise as replacement feeds for
fresh algae.
Aquaculture
Nutrition
(Cooperative
Research Centre for Aquaculture, CSIRO Marine Research, Cleveland,
Queensland, Australia)