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The use of fresh food supplements to ameliorate moulting difficulties in lobsters, Homarus gammarus (L.), destined for release to the sea
Author(s) -
ALI Y. O.,
WICKINS J. F.
Publication year - 1994
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/j.1365-2109.1994.tb00713.x
Subject(s) - moulting , biology , juvenile , carapace , homarus , fishery , zoology , muda , crustacean , ecology , larva
. Compounded diets given to juvenile lobsters, Homarus gammarus (L.), during the critical post‐settlement phase of their development induced moulting abnormalities that resulted in limb loss and deformity. These potentially lethal effects were minimized, and in some cases overcome, through the provision of a supplement of natural food given just once or twice each week. The degree to which a poor diet could be improved was proportional to the quality and frequency of supplementation. Both moult increment and frequency were affected by dietary regime. A quantitative index of general health was derived from selected physical attributes exhibited by juvenile lobsters, which was useful in assessing a combination of responses to different diets and supplements.