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Aquac Nutr
2024 May 27;2024:7098440. doi: 10.1155/2024/7098440.
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Survival, Growth, and Food Resources of Juvenile Sea Cucumbers Holothuria forskali (Echinodermata, Holothuroidea) in Co-Culture with Shellfish in Brittany (France).
David F
,
Raymond G
,
Grys J
,
Ameziane N
,
Sadoul B
.
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We conducted experiments with various growing conditions, both at sea and indoors, to explore the growth potential of Holothuria (Panningothuria) forskali Delle Chiaje, 1823 juveniles. Sea trials involved co-culture with European abalones (EA) or placement underneath European flat oysters (EO) or Pacific oysters (PO), using juveniles of 6-8 g initial weight. In sea-based conditions around summer (Apr-Sep), sea cucumbers grew best in EO at 0.94% d-1, followed by EA (0.88% d-1), both being in deep water (8-12 m), while sea cucumbers in the foreshore of a mega-tidal environment (PO) had the lowest growth (0.24% d-1). The indoor trial (IM) was performed with smaller individuals (≈0.3 g) and yielded a remarkable growth of 2.76% d-1 during summer (May-Sep). All experiments resulted in high survival rates, exceeding 80%. Additionally, we analysed fatty acid, amino acid, and stable isotope compositions of sea cucumbers' body walls, along with the pigment composition of their stomach contents. These analyses provided evidence that juveniles had distinct diets in each rearing condition, all differing from the diet of adults found in the wild. Our results also demonstrate that sea cucumbers do not compete for food resources in the shellfish production, which is crucial for their integration into multi-trophic aquaculture systems. However, whether sea cucumbers may have benefitted from the organic matter from shellfish faeces and pseudofaeces and/or grew on the biofilm growing on the cage walls remains to be elucidated.
Figure 1. Localisation of the various steps of H. forskali rearing during the HoloFarm research project in Brittany (France).
Figure 2. Total pigment concentrations in stomach contents of H. forskali juveniles co-cultured at sea and in indoor monoculture (IM) and its feed. EA, EO, and PO stand, respectively, for co-culture with European abalones, European oysters, and Pacific oysters. Letters indicate significant differences between samples (Van der Waerden test, α = 5%). Broad lines indicate the median, box edges refer to the 1st and 3rd quartiles, and circles indicate outliers.
Figure 3. Principal component analysis of pigment concentrations in stomach contents of H. forskali juveniles co-cultured (grey squares) underneath European oysters (EO) or Pacific oysters (PO), with European abalone (EA) or indoor farmed (IM, black squares). Pigments most contributing to the construction of axes are represented by vectors.
Figure 4. Total amino acid and fatty acid concentrations in the body wall of H. forskali juveniles co-cultured at sea, in indoor monoculture, or in adults gathered in the wild. EA, EO, and PO stand, respectively, for co-culture with European abalones, European oysters, and Pacific oysters. Letters indicate significant differences between samples (Van der Waerden test, α = 5%). Broad lines indicate the median, box edges refer to the 1st and 3rd quartiles, and circles indicate outliers.
Figure 5. Principal component analysis of amino acid proportions in the body wall of H. forskali juveniles co-cultured (grey squares) underneath European oysters (EO) or Pacific oysters (PO), with European abalone (EA) or indoor farmed (IM, black squares). Values were compared to adults collected in the wild (white squares). Amino acids, most contributing to the construction of axes, are represented by vectors.
Figure 6. Principal component analysis of fatty acid proportions in the body wall of H. forskali juveniles co-cultured (grey squares) underneath European (EO) or Pacific oysters (PO), with European abalone (EA) or indoor farmed (IM, black squares). Values were compared to adults collected in the wild (white squares). Fatty acids most contributing to the construction of axes are represented by vectors.
Figure 7. Stable isotope ratios (δ13C and δ15N) in the body wall and in stomach contents of H. forskali juveniles co-cultured (grey squares) underneath European (EO) or Pacific oysters (PO), with European abalone (EA) or indoor farmed (IM, black squares). Values were compared to adults collected in the wild (white squares) and the feed (triangles) provided to indoor-farmed individuals.
