Growth of Juvenile Green Sea Urchins, Strongylocentrotus
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JWAS jwas˙560 Dispatch: January 28, 2012 Journal: JWAS CE: Shobana Journal Name Manuscript No. B Author Received: No of pages: 15 TS: Karthik JOURNAL OF THE Vol. 43, No. 2 WORLD AQUACULTURE SOCIETY April, 2012 1 1 2 Growth of Juvenile Green Sea Urchins, Strongylocentrotus 2 3 3 4 droebachiensis, Fed Formulated Feeds with Varying Protein Levels 4 5 Compared with a Macroalgal Diet and a Commercial 5 6 Abalone Feed 6 7 7 1 2 8 Stephen D. Eddy , Nicholas P. Brown, and Ashley L. Kling 8 9 Center for Cooperative Aquaculture Research, University of Maine, 33 Salmon Farm Road, 9 10 Franklin, Maine 04634, USA 10 11 11 12 Stephen A. Watts 12 13 Department of Biology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama 35294, 13 14 USA 14 15 15 16 Addison Lawrence 16 17 Texas AgriLIFE Research, Texas A&M System, 1300 Port Street, Port Aransas, Texas 17 18 78373, USA 18 19 19 20 Abstract 20 21 The effects of varying protein and carbohydrate levels in prepared diets on the somatic growth of 21 22 juvenile green sea urchins, Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis, were examined. Ten diets were tested 22 23 on 600 hatchery reared urchins (mean start weight = 0.11 g) for 6 mo with three replicate groups per 23 24 diet. Nine of the diets were prepared specifically for urchins and varied in protein (16–40% protein) 24 25 and carbohydrate (29–49% carbohydrate) levels. The other two diets consisted of a commercially 25 available abalone diet and the kelp, Saccharina latissima. Weight measurements were carried out 26 at 6-wk intervals, and at the end of the study urchins were individually weighed and a subsample 26 27 from each treatment was analyzed for gonad weight and color. End weights after 6 mo ranged from 27 28 2.56 g for urchins fed the abalone diet to 6.11 g for urchins fed one of the prepared diets. Most of the 28 29 prepared feeds outperformed kelp, and significant differences in growth were detected between some 29 30 of the diets. In general, diets with lower protein levels (16–22% protein) and higher carbohydrate 30 levels (>40% carbohydrate) produced the fastest growth. However, further diet refinement and/or 31 use of finishing diets may be necessary to optimize gonad quality. 31 32 32 33 33 34 34 35 The green sea urchin, Strongylocentrotus reduced urchin supply from capture fisheries 35 36 droebachiensis, is highly valued in Japan and and their high-market value have led to efforts 36 37 throughout Asia for the quality of its edible to commercially farm S. droebachiensis and 37 38 gonads, known as uni. This has led to signifi- other urchin species (Robinson 2004). These 38 39 cant fishing effort in many regions throughout efforts include sea-based stock enhancement 39 40 the circumpolar range where S. droebachien- and cage methods and land-based methods 40 41 sis is found. In the Gulf of Maine (USA and (Kirchhoff et al. 2008). Projects are currently 41 42 Canada), overfishing and resulting ecosystem underway in Norway, Canada, and the USA to 42 43 changes are considered to be major causes of develop methods for land-based echiniculture 43 44 a significant decline in green sea urchin stocks of green sea urchins and to evaluate the eco- 44 45 (Harris et al. 2000; Steneck et al. 2004). The nomic viability of these efforts (Kirchhoff et al. 45 46 2008; Hagen and Siikavuopio 2010; Pearce and 46 47 1 Corresponding author. Robinson 2010). 47 48 2 Present address: 10 John Street, Apartment 212, Dun- Successful land-based echiniculture will re- 48 49 das, Ontario L9H 6J3, Canada. quire the use of formulated diets. Although 49 © Copyright by the World Aquaculture Society 2012 159 160 EDDY ET AL. 1 urchins can be grown in captivity using various in feeding rate with increased protein lev- 1 2 species of macroalgae, this approach is unlikely els. Fernandez and Boudouresque (2000) com- 2 3 to be environmentally sustainable or econom- pared growth of Paracentrotus lividus given 3 4 ically viable for commercial scale production three feed types varying in quality ( “veg- 4 5 (Lawrence et al. 2001). Macroalgae is relatively etable,” “mixed,” and “animal”), and found that 5 6 low in protein and energy and varies season- the higher protein feeds ( “mixed” and “ani- 6 7 ally in nutrient profiles (Larson et al. 1980; mal”) with relatively lower carbohydrate levels 7 8 Lobban and Harrison 1994; Schlosser et al. (28.9% protein/35.3% carbohydrate and 47.2% 8 9 2005). Formulated urchin feeds can be used protein/15.9% carbohydrate, respectively) gave 9 10 to maximize somatic growth during the juve- better results than the “vegetable” type feed 10 11 nile stages (McBride et al. 1998; Akiyama et al. (12.7% protein/58.2% carbohydrate). Akiyama 11 12 2001; Spirlet et al. 2001; Kennedy et al. 2005; et al. (2001) concluded that a dietary protein 12 13 Kennedy et al. 2007a, 2007b) or to improve level of 20% was the optimum for Pseudo- 13 14 gonad yield and quality during maturity (Walker centrotus depressus when casein was the sole 14 15 and Lesser 1998; Robinson et al. 2002; Pearce protein source. Hammer et al. (2006) observed 15 16 et al. 2004). Ultimately, these diets will have similar results in a feeding study with the sea 16 17 to produce gonads with acceptable market qual- urchin Lytehcinus variegatus, where they deter- 17 18 ity. The use of different diets for different life mined that a 20% protein diet was more effi- 18 19 stages will likely be required to culture urchins cient than either a 9% protein or a 31% protein 19 20 from hatchery to harvest (Kelly et al. 1998; diet. 20 21 Lawrence et al. 2001). This study was conducted to determine the 21 22 Many of the studies to date on the nutrition optimum protein level in the diet for young 22 23 of urchins in culture conditions have examined green sea urchins, S. droebachiensis. Given 23 24 the role of nutrients in promoting gonad yield the importance of protein for growth and the 24 25 and quality (Barker et al. 1998; Meidel and expense of protein as a feed ingredient, this 25 26 Scheibling 1999; Robinson et al. 2002; Shpigel topic needs to be addressed to optimize the bio- 26 27 et al. 2005; Siikavuopio et al. 2007). A num- logical and economic efficiency of land-based 27 28 ber of other studies have compared somatic and green sea urchin culture. Eight formulated 28 29 gonad growth of urchins fed various formulated urchin diets with varying protein/carbohydrate 29 30 feeds with macroalgal diets, or compared the levels were compared with one another and 30 31 use of different algal species as feed (Cook with the kelp, Saccharina latissima (previ- 31 32 et al. 1998; Russell 1998; Spirlet et al. 2001; ously Laminaria saccharina), a readily avail- 32 33 Chang et al. 2005; Daggett et al. 2005; Lyons able species known to be consumed by green 33 34 and Scheibling 2007). However, the specific sea urchins (Vadas 1977; Daggett et al. 2005). 34 35 nutrient requirements for optimal sea urchin A commercially available high protein abalone 35 36 somatic growth in aquaculture remain obscure. feed was included in the trial as a possible alter- 36 37 Kennedy et al. (2007a) have presented evidence native diet for green urchins. Hatchery reared 37 38 that a lack of appropriate dietary minerals and urchins with a starting test diameter (TD) of 38 39 pigments is a likely factor contributing to the approximately 5.5 mm were used for the trial; 39 40 shortcomings of prepared feeds in those cases hatchery reared urchins of this small size have 40 41 where natural kelp diets have produced bet- rarely been used in previous formulated diet tri- 41 42 ter somatic growth than prepared diets. Other als (Akiyama et al. 2001; Spirlet et al. 2001). 42 43 recent studies have begun defining the gross 43 44 levels of protein and carbohydrates required Materials and Methods 44 45 for somatic growth by urchins. McBride et al. 45 46 (1998) observed no significant differences in Urchins and Holding Conditions 46 47 growth of Strongylocentrotus franciscanus fed The juvenile urchins used in the trial were 47 48 prepared diets with protein levels of 30, selected on the basis of size from a population 48 49 40, and 50%, but they did see a decrease of approximately 10,000 9 mo post-settlement 49 NUTRITION OF GREEN SEA URCHINS 161 1 hatchery urchins reared at the Center for Coop- sources for these diets were a proprietary mix 1 2 erative Aquaculture Research (Franklin, ME, of kelp, soybean, casein, fish, and squid; and 2 3 USA), where the feed trial also took place. the carbohydrate sources were wheat, kelp, and 3 4 The urchins had been reared almost exclusively soybean. Lipid levels ranged from 3.6 to 6.2%, 4 5 on the kelp, S. latissima for the 9 mo prior which are within a suitable range for meet- 5 6 to this study. The population as a whole var- ing urchin growth requirements (Kennedy et al. 6 7 ied between 3 and 15 mm TD, so to minimize 2007b). Each of the eight Texas A&M diets 7 8 variation and the effect of differential growth contained up to 28% marine ingredients, 28.7% 8 9 rates urchins with a TD of approximately plant ingredients, 1.1% carotenoids, 0.7% vita- 9 10 5.5 mm were selected from the population, min premix, 24 % mineral mix, 7.2% binder, 10 11 weighed using an A&D Instruments digital and antifungal–antioxidant.