GROWTH AND SURVIVAL LARVAE OF ARGOPECTEN NUCLEUS FED WITH DIFFERENT MICROALGAE DIETS

Abstract

The influence of the diet on larval growth of the scallops Argopecten nucleus was studied, testing six microalgae diets composed by single-algae and mixed diets of the species Isochrysis galbana, Chaetoceros calcitrans y Tetraselmis suecica, handling a concentration per mL equivalent to 40000 cells of I. galbana and the response through the variables surviving, growth, appearance of the eye spot and state of condition (full, half-full and empty larvae) was measured. The diets containing I. galbana showed greater results over all the measured variables, with regard to those where it was not present. In particular, the mixed diet I. galbana + C. calcitrans presented superiority over all variables, although in the most cases was statistically similar to I. galbana + C. calcitrans + T. suecica, I. galbana + T. suecica and I. galbana alone. For the opposite, the diets with the lowest results were C. calcitrans and C. calcitrans + T. suecica. The results obtained are principally attributed to the nutritional composition mainly of high unsaturated fatty acids (HUFA) of each microalgae and each mixture supply, which is discussed in detail.