Variation in clearance and ingestion rates by larvae of the black-lip
pearl oyster (Pinctada margaritifera, L.) feeding on various
microalgae
M.S.
Doroudi, P.C. Southgate, J.S. Lucas-2003
Aquaculture Nutrition, 9(1): 11-16
Abstract
Clearance
rate (CR) and ingestion rate (IR) of different sizes (89, 125 and 188 µm
shell length) of Pinctada margaritifera larvae were determined when
feeding on various microalgae. The microalgae tested were the diatoms, Chaetoceros
muelleri and C. simplex, and flagellates, Tahitian Isochrysis
aff. galbana, Pavlova lutheri and P. salina at 5
or 10 cells µL
-1.
Both CR and IR of microalgae tested in this study increased with increasing
larval size; but at all larval sizes, diatoms resulted in lower CR and IR.
Of the microalgae tested, P. margaritifera larvae showed greatest CR
and IR with the two Pavlova spp. Maximum CR for P. salina was
10.5, 21.2 and 29.7 µL h
-1
for larvae with shell lengths of 89, 125 and 188 µm, respectively. The
highest IR values for P. margaritifera larvae with shell lengths of
89, 125 and 188 µm were 8.7, 81.0 and 165.7 cells·larva
-1 h
-1,
respectively. CR and IR of P. salina were approximately five times
higher than those recorded for C. muelleri and C. simplex.
(School of Marine Biology and Aquaculture, James Cook
University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia)