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Effects of the diatom Cylindrotheca fusiformis on the growth of the sea cucumber Apostichopus japonicus and water quality in ponds

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Abstract

The effects of supplementation with the benthic diatom Cylindrotheca fusiformis on the growth of the sea cucumber Apostichopus japonicus and water quality was studied in six sea cucumber culturing ponds (600 m2 each) from November 2011 to November 2012. The nutrients for sea cucumbers in the control group were supplied solely by the spring tide inflow; whereas, in the experimental group, C. fusiformis diatoms were also added as feed. Total nitrogen and total phosphorus in the water in the diatom-supplemented group were not significantly different from the control group (P > 0.05). At one time point (October), the NH4-N in the diatom-supplemented group was lower than that in the control group (P < 0.05). The specific growth rate and biomass per unit area of sea cucumbers in the diatom-supplemented group were significantly higher than that in the control group in June (P < 0.05), and the biomass per unit area of sea cucumbers followed a similar trend in November (P < 0.05). Nevertheless, the advantages accumulated at the early stage were non-significant by the end of the experiment (P > 0.05). The economic benefits in the diatom-supplemented group were 10.9 % higher than that in the control group. The results suggest that fresh C. fusiformis can serve as an important food resource for sea cucumbers during the early growth stages. Therefore, supplementation with fresh C. fusiformis may be effective for increasing water quality and sea cucumber production, as C. fusiformis can provide food for aquaculture animals and utilize nitrogen and phosphorus in the water.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the National Key R & D Program (2011BAD13B03) and National Marine Public Welfare Project of China (200905020).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. The Key Laboratory of Mariculture, Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003, People’s Republic of China

    Junwei Li, Shuanglin Dong, Xiangli Tian, Ce Shi, Fang Wang & Qinfeng Gao

  2. Key Laboratory of South China Sea Fishery Resources Exploitation and Utilization of Ministry of Agriculture of China, South China Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Guangzhou, 510300, People’s Republic of China

    Junwei Li & Changbo Zhu

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  1. Junwei Li
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  2. Shuanglin Dong
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  3. Xiangli Tian
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  4. Ce Shi
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  5. Fang Wang
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  6. Qinfeng Gao
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  7. Changbo Zhu
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Correspondence to Shuanglin Dong.

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Li, J., Dong, S., Tian, X. et al. Effects of the diatom Cylindrotheca fusiformis on the growth of the sea cucumber Apostichopus japonicus and water quality in ponds. Aquacult Int 23, 955–965 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10499-014-9854-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10499-014-9854-7

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