Evaluation of phytoplankton as diets for juvenile Ostrea edulis L

• Published in: Journal of experimental marine biology and ecology 1986-04, Vol.96 (1), p.1-13
• Main Authors: Enright, C.T., Newkirk, G.F., Craigie, J.S., Castell, J.D.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Biological and medical sciences; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Invertebrates; Marine; Mollusca; nutrition; Ostrea edulis; oyster diets; Physiology. Development; phytoplankton
• ISSN: 0022-0981; 1879-1697
• DOI: 10.1016/0022-0981(86)90009-2

Of 16 phytoplankton species tested as juvenile oyster diets, those superior to the reference diet Isochrysis galbana clone T-iso emerged with the following descending ranking: Chaetoceros gracilis Schütt, C. calcitrans Takano, Skeletonema costatum (Grev.) Cleve, Chaetoceros simplex Ostenfeld, Rhodomonas sp., and Thalassiosira pseudonana Hasle & Heimdal. The daily oyster growth rate with Chaetoceros gracilis was 1.5 to 1.8 times that with Isochrysis galbana clone T-iso. Biochemical analysis on some of the good and poor algal diets provided insight into the nutritional requirements of Ostrea edulis (L.) juveniles. Level of the essential fatty acids 20: 5ω3 and 22: 6ω3 and carbohydrate level are important factors in a good algal diet for O. edulis juveniles. Variation in the amino-acid composition among the seven algal diets analysed was small and did not explain the observed differences in oyster growth response with the diets. There was no clear trend between the protein level of the diet and the growth response of the oysters.