FAU Institutional Repository http://purl.fcla.edu/fau/fauir This paper was submitted by the faculty of FAU’s Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute. Notice: ©1992 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. This manuscript is an author version with the final publication available at http://www.wiley.com/WileyCDA/ and may be cited as: Lellis, W. A. (1992). A standard reference diet for crustacean nutrition research. VI. Response of postlarval stages of the Caribbean king crab Mithrax spinosissimus and the spiny lobster Panulirus argus. Journal of the World Aquaculture Society, 23(1), 1-7. doi:10.1111/j.1749-7345.1992.tb00744.x JOURNAL OF THE Vol. 23, No.1 WORLD AQUACULTURE SOCIETY March,1992 A Standard Reference Diet for Crustacean Nutrition Research VI. Response of Postlarval Stages of the Caribbean King Crab Mithrax spinosissimus and the Spiny Lobster Panulirus argus ,I WILLIAM A. LELLIS Division ofApplied Biology, Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution Inc., 5600 Old Dixie Highway, Fort Pierce, Florida 34946 USA Abstract Two experiments were condncted to determine if two proposed crustacean reference diets, BML­ 81S or HFX CRD-84, could serve as nutritional standards for early postlarval stages ofthe Caribbean king crab Mithrax spinosissimus or the spiny lobster Panulirus argus. In the first study, after an eight week trial period, survival of postlarval crabs (initial mean weight = 20 mg) was higher (P < 0.05) for crabs fed a control diet of commercial larval fish feed (66.7%) or BML-81S (45.8%) than for crabs fed HFX CRD-84 (16.7%). Final mean weight was also greater (P < 0.05) for crabs consuming the fry feed than for crabs fed BML-81S or HFX CRD-84 (710 vs. 460 and 340 mg, respectively). In the second study, after a ten week trial period, survival of second stage postlarval spiny lobsters (initial mean weight = 0.20 g) was greater (P < 0.05) for animals fed live adult Artemia (93.3%) than for lobsters fed HFX CRD-84 (26.7%) or BML-81S (0%). Lobsters offered the casein-based BML-81S did not consume the feed and died within 25 days. Results suggest that BML-81S may be an acceptable reference diet for Mithrax spinoslssimus, but that neither BML­ 81S nor HFX CRD-84 is adequate for the early postlarval stages of Panulirus argus. The Caribbean king crab Mithrax spi­ cost-effective diets based upon a complete nosissimus and the spiny lobster Panulirus understanding of the animals' nutritional argus are two tropical marine crustaceans requirements at different life stages. One currently being evaluated for mariculture method to measure progress during diet de­ potential in the Caribbean Basin. The Ca­ velopment is to compare performance of ribbean king crab is a slow-moving omni­ animals fed a test diet with that of animals vore, particularly well suited for grazing on fed a control diet ofdefined chemical com­ fine macroalgae (Bohnsack 1976). The crab position. The purpose of this study was to can complete its short, five-to-seven-day determine if either of two proposed stan­ larval phase without an external food supply dard crustacean reference diets developed (Provenzano and Brownell 1977), and after for H omarus americanus, BML-81 S or HFX molting to first crab will immediately feed CRD-84 (Castell et al. 1989) can be used as on a variety of live and commercially pre­ nutritional standards during diet develop­ pared foods (Brownell et al. 1977; Bolton ment for the early postlarval stages ofMith­ 1987). Spiny lobsters have a longer and more rax spinosissimus or Panulirus argus. complex larval stage, and cultivation through this phase is not yet possible. How­ Materials and Methods • ever, early stage postlarvae have been readi­ ly collected from the wild and subsequently Culture System cultured to maturity using combinations of All experiments were conducted within a various amphipods, gastropods, bivalves 65,000 L closed seawater system main­ and fish as feed (Witham 1973; Serfting and tained by the Division of Applied Biology Ford 1975; Chittleborough 1976). at Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institu­ Future commercial-scale culture ofcrabs tion Inc. (HBOI), Fort Pierce, Aorida, USA. and lobsters will require development of The culture system is housed within 2,700 © Copyright by the World Aquaculture Society 1992 2 LELLIS square feet ofcovered greenhouse and con­ USA, and their eggs subsequently hatched tains nine 1,800 L circular fiberglass culture at HBOI research facilities in Fort Pierce. tanks. Each culture tank is connected to a Resulting postlarvae were communally separate 750 L primary filtration unit con­ housed and fed a diet of filamentous algae taining a polyester fiber filter, an aragonite and flaked tropical fish food for 30 days, at gravel bed and a 30 watt ultraviolet steril­ which time all remaining crabs were mea­ izer. A small electric pump circulates the sured and divided into groups separated to \ . waterfrom the gravel bed to the culture tank the nearest 1.0 mm carapace length (CL). A at a rate of 15 L/min. Temperature of the total of 144 crabs were selected from the 3 culture water is regulated by means of a mm CL size group (approximate mean wet thermostatically controlled polypropylene weight = 20 mg) and divided into 24 groups heat exchanger located within the gravel bed. of six crabs each. Each group of six crabs Each ofthe nine primary biofilters receives was housed within a 20.5 em diameter ring, a constant exchange of water (2.5 L/min) and all 24 rings were floated on four rafts from a central 40,000 L secondary filtration within the same culture tank. The rings were and reservoir system which contains a series filled with shredded black plastic netting to of fine particulate, carbon and macroalgal provide the crabs with shelter, then ran­ filters. The original system was designed and domly assigned to one of six dietary treat­ constructed by Robert A. Winfree (personal ments (producing four replicates per diet). communication). Water in the system is The six diets tested included two purified supplied from the Indian River lagoon at crustacean diets BML-81Sand HFX CRD­ times when salinity is at or near levels found 84 developed for Homarus americanus in ocean water (35 ppt). (Castell et al. 1989), a semipurified experi­ Within each culture tank, small crusta­ mental crustacean diet HFX EXD-l (Cas­ ceans are individually or communally tell and Kean 1986) and three commercially housed within rings constructed from 10.2 available diets manufactured for feeding em high sections ofpolyvinylchloride (PVC) larval fish (Fry Feed C, Biokyowa Inc., Cape pipe which have a 500 /lm screen attached Girardeau, Missouri, USA), postlarval to the bottom. The amount of space avail­ shrimp (Feed 38-469, Zeigler Bros. Inc., able to each animal (or group) can be ad­ Gardners, Pennsylvania, USA) and guinea justed by using a different diameter PVC pigs (Guinea Pig Pellets, Hartz Mountain pipe to construct the ring. Rings are sup­ Corp., Harrison, New Jersey, USA). The ported in the upper 6 em of the water col­ purified diet BML-81S utilized vitamin-free umn by means ofa pentagonal-shaped float­ casein as the major protein source, whereas ing raft. Four rafts per tank are strapped HFX CRD-84 was based upon a freeze-dried together to form a free-moving circle around concentrate of solvent-extracted deboned a center standpipe, and are rotated beneath crab meal (Castell et al. 1989). The semi­ a stationary overhead sprinkler barby means purified HFX EXD-l diet was similar in oftwo airlifts secured to the inside walls of composition to HFX CRD-84, but con­ the fiberglass tanks. Animals receive clean tained a freeze-dried meal made from de­ recirculated seawater from the sprinkler at shelled cooked crab as the major protein a rate sufficient to exchange the volume of component. Ingredient labels from both the • the rings approximately seven times each larval fish feed and the shrimp diet listed hour. fishmeal as the major dietary component, whereas guinea pig pellets were primarily ( composed of alfalfa, soybean meal and Mithrax Study wheat. Ovigerous female Mithrax spinosissimus Diets were ground, sifted to a 1.0 mm were collected off Sugarloaf Key, Florida, particle size and stored frozen. Crabs were CSRD VI: EFFECTS ON MITHRAX CRABS AND SPINY LOBSTERS 3 fed to excess twice daily (0900 hand 1700 A total of75 individually housed lobsters h) seven days per week. Uneaten food and (initial mean weight 0.20 ± 0.04 g, 6.4 ± other waste material was removed by si­ 0.4 mm CL) were floated on four rafts with­ phoning each ring prior to the 0900 h feed­ in the same culture tank, and each lobster ing. Water temperature was recorded twice was randomly allotted to one offive dietary daily and maintained at 27.0 ± 0.5 C. Sa­ treatments (producing 15 replicates per diet). linity was measured weekly using a refrac­ Randomization was accomplished by draw­ tometer (Aquafauna Biomarine Inc., Haw­ ing an identification numberassigned to each thorne, California, USA) and averaged 34.5 lobster from one bucket and matching it ± 0.5 ppt. Dissolved oxygen levels within with a diet identification number drawn the rings remained at near saturation levels from a second bucket. Diets included live due to surface agitation ofwater falling from adult Artemia, BML-8lS, HFX CRD-84, the overhead sprinkler bar (oxygen mea­ HFX EXD-l and the same postlarval sured periodically with a YSI Model 58 ox­ shrimp feed used in the crab study. For­ ygen meter, Yellow Springs Instrument Co., mulated feeds were ground, sifted to a par­ Yellow Springs, Ohio, USA). The pH ofthe ticle size of 2 mm and stored frozen. Arte­ water in the system was determined bi­ mia were cultured on a diet of yeast and weekly with an Orion digital pH meter Spirulina.