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Experimental rearing of the sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus fed with discards of the lettuce Lactuca sativa in a sea‐based system
Author(s) -
Vizzini Salvatrice,
Visconti Giulia,
Vaccaro Antonino,
Mazzola Antonio
Publication year - 2018
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.13492
Subject(s) - paracentrotus lividus , lactuca , biology , sea urchin , ulva lactuca , gonad , ingredient , fishery , botany , zoology , ecology , anatomy , food science
Abstract Small‐sized specimens (test diameter: 16.64 ± 0.93 mm, mean ± SE) of the sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus were fed with fresh discards of the lettuce Lactuca sativa during a 24‐week experiment in a sea‐based system. At the end of the experiment, stock survival was high (88.8 ± 6.6%). Sea urchin test diameter and total weight grew by 35% and 56%, respectively, while gonad somatic index, after an initial decrease, increased by 3.2%. Moreover, more than 90% of specimens achieved the gonad colour that the market demands. These results support the exploitation of L. sativa as the main ingredient in a manufactured diet for echinoculture of P. lividus . Employing diets formulated with discard ingredients, combined with a low‐cost sea‐based rearing system, could be a suitable approach for sustainable management of echinoculture.