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Dietary habits of grazers influence their suitability as biological controls of fouling macroalgae in ex situ mariculture
Author(s) -
Ng Chin Soon Lionel,
Toh Tai Chong,
Toh Kok Ben,
Guest James,
Chou Loke Ming
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
aquaculture research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.646
H-Index - 89
eISSN - 1365-2109
pISSN - 1355-557X
DOI - 10.1111/are.12128
Subject(s) - biology , mariculture , algae , botany , ecology , aquaculture , fishery , fish <actinopterygii>
The dietary habits of the sea urchin S almacis sphaeroides and the gastropod T rochus maculatus in ex situ mariculture were examined. Fouling algal assemblages on terracotta tiles were exposed to the grazers and compared. Except for Day 0, the assemblages on Days 2, 13 and 27 differed significantly across treatments. S . sphaeroides rapidly consumed most algae, leaving an assemblage dominated by turf algae and bare tile. T . maculatus primarily fed on green filamentous algae, resulting in an even distribution of other algal functional groups, while control tiles were dominated by green filamentous algae. Using three representative fouling algae species ( B ryopsis corymbosa , H ypnea spinella and L obophora variegata ), the consumption rates of both grazers and dietary preferences of S . sphaeroides were examined through a single‐diet and a choice experiment respectively. The single‐diet experiment revealed differential algal consumption rates for S . sphaeroides ( H . spinella = B . corymbosa > L . variegata ) and T . maculatus ( B . corymbosa > H . spinella = L . variegata ). The choice experiment showed that S . sphaeroides preferred H . spinella over the other two species. These experiments highlighted the importance of understanding the dietary habits of grazers as this has direct implications on their effectiveness as biological controls of fouling macroalgae in mariculture.