Optimal feed
pellet size for culturing juvenile spiny lobster Jasus edwardsii
(Hutton, 1875) in New Zealand
J.K. Sheppard, M.P. Bruce, A.G. Jeffs-2002
Aquaculture
Research, 33(12):
913-916
Abstract:
There is intense international interest in
the development of spiny lobster aquaculture and of particular interest is
the development of artificial diets for spiny lobsters. However, there is
little information on the feeding behaviour of spiny lobsters and their
ability to handle and consume artificial feeds of different dimensions.
Observations of the feeding behaviour of juveniles of the spiny lobster Jasus
edwardsii in culture found that they waste significant amounts of food
through externally fragmenting the feed pellets before sweeping particles
into the mouth. The consumption efficiency of different sized pellets was
found to change markedly with increasing size of the juvenile lobsters. Up
to 50% of artificial food was wasted by the inefficient feeding behaviour of
the lobsters. However, consumption of the feed could be reduced by as much
as 19% by altering pellet size. These results indicate that the size of feed
pellets, and their consistency and fragmentation characteristics, will be
critical aspects of cost-effective feeding of cultured spiny lobsters.
(Michael Bruce, National Institute of Water and Atmospheric
Research, Private Bag 109 695, Newmarket, Auckland, New Zealand. E-mail: m.bruce@niwa.cri.nz)