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Long-term effects of stocking density on survival, growth performance and marketable production of the sea urchin Strongylocentrotus intermedius

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Abstract

Sea urchins were stocked at a density of 15 (D15), 30 (D30), 45 (D45) and 60 (D60) urchins/cage (0.3 m long × 0.2 m wide × 0.4 m high) in a laboratory culture environment for 16 months. The wet body weight (BW) and test diameter growth were monitored at 2-month intervals during the experiment. At the conclusion of the experiment, the surviving sea urchins were counted and the gonad wet weight (GW) and gonad color were measured. Specific growth rate (SGR) of body weight, survival rate (SR), gonad index (GI), gonad color difference (ΔE 00), coefficients of variation (CV) of BW, GW, GI and ΔE 00, total biomass yield (TY) and total gonad yield (TGY) per cage were calculated. Two marketable yield variables, graded according to gonad index, i.e., marketable biomass yield (MY) and marketable gonad yield (MGY), were also calculated. Coefficient of variation of final body weight (FW) and final test diameter (FTD) of sea urchins increased as the stocking density increased, indicating the existence of adverse social interactions. These adverse social interactions detrimentally affected FW, FTD, SGR, GW and GI (P < 0.01). Although SR decreased with the increasing densities, no statistical significant difference was detected. Sea urchins at D15 had the lowest gonad color difference (ΔE 00) (P < 0.05). However, statistically equal CV of ΔE 00 indicates this density effect was not a result of adverse social interactions. TY and TGY increased with increased density and can be described by the following equations: TY = 84.18X 0.64, R 2 = 0.999 and TGY = 24.16X 0.38, R 2 = 0.979. However, the MY and MGY were not significantly different among stocking densities. The results of this study demonstrate that in intensive culture S. intermedius at low stocking density can achieve high growth rate, gonad index and desirable color without decreasing the marketable yield. Farmers should choose to culture S. intermedius at low stocking densities.

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by Chinese National 863 project (2012AA10A412). We are greatly grateful to Prof. John M. Lawrence for providing many useful editorial suggestions.

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    1. Key Laboratory of Mariculture and Stock Enhancement in North China’s Sea, Ministry of Agriculture, Dalian Ocean University, Dalian, 116023, Liaoning, China

      Shoubing Qi, Weijie Zhang, Chenchen Jing, Haifeng Wang, Shuai Zhao, Mi Zhou & Yaqing Chang

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    1. Shoubing Qi
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    Correspondence to Yaqing Chang.

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    Shoubing Qi and Weijie Zhang have contributed equally to this work.

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    Qi, S., Zhang, W., Jing, C. et al. Long-term effects of stocking density on survival, growth performance and marketable production of the sea urchin Strongylocentrotus intermedius . Aquacult Int 24, 1323–1339 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10499-016-9988-x

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