Open AccessThe Effect of Dissolved Oxygen Level on the Weight Gain and Shell Hardness of New‐Shell American Lobster Homarus americanus
Author(s) -
Bayer Robert,
Riley John,
Donahue Darrell
Publication year - 1998
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.1749-7345.1998.tb00674.x
Subject(s) - homarus , american lobster , biology , fishery , shell (structure) , zoology , shore durometer , crustacean , seawater , hemolymph , saturation (graph theory) , weight gain , oxygen , ecology , body weight , materials science , metallurgy , composite material , chemistry , endocrinology , mathematics , combinatorics , organic chemistry
— New‐shell American lobsters Homarus americanus stored in tidal pounds or on‐shore tank systems are fed to promote weight gain and shell hardness prior to shipping. Maintaining adequate dissolved oxygen (DO) levels in the water is an important consideration in this process, and information on optimum DO levels is needed. In this study, 90 post‐molt lobsters were weighed and tagged and held in a recirculating seawater system. Three DO treatments, 50%. 100%. and 250% saturation, were applied in three replicates; the lobsters were held for 35 d and fed daily. After this period they were re‐weighed and shell hardness was measured. Results showed that increasing oxygen saturation above 100% did not increase weight gain or shell hardness and at lower levels (50%) there is only a trend to reduced shell hardness and weight gain.