Open AccessEnergy Balance of Callinectes rathbunae Contreras 1930 in Floating Cages in a Tropical Coastal Lagoon
Author(s) -
Rosas Carlos,
Vanegas Cecilia,
Tabares Isaac,
Ramirez Judith
Publication year - 1993
Publication title -
journal of the world aquaculture society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.655
H-Index - 60
eISSN - 1749-7345
pISSN - 0893-8849
DOI - 10.1111/j.1749-7345.1993.tb00152.x
Subject(s) - biology , energy balance , fishery , zoology , ecology , oceanography , geology
The genus Callinecres is ecologically important in the coastal lagoon region of the Gulf of Mexico. This study was conducted to test the feasibility of raising these crabs in a system of floating cages and to measure their scope for growth in a tropical coastal lagoon of the Gulf of Mexico. The equation P = As ‐ (R + E + N) was used to estimate the scope for growth (P) for C. rathbunae under experimental conditions for 21 days. Ingested food was 3% of body weight. Assimilation (As) was 73% of assimilated energy, 21.4% was channeled to respiration (R), 2% to excretion (N) and 0.16% to exuvia (E). The remainder of the energy was channeled to growth at a net efficiency of 76%. Significant differences were not found between the calculated scope for growth and the growth achieved in the culture system ( P > 0.05). These results support the energy balance equation and suggest that the cultivation of C. rathbunae in floating cages is possible.