Article
Details
Citation
Beltran-Gutierrez M, Ferse SCA, Kunzmann A, Stead SM, Msuya FE, Hoffmeister TS & Slater MJ (2016) Co-culture of sea cucumber Holothuria scabra and red seaweed Kappaphycus striatum. Aquaculture Research, 47 (5), pp. 1549-1559. https://doi.org/10.1111/are.12615
Abstract
Commercially valuable sea cucumbers are potential co©\culture species in tropical lagoon environments, where they may be integrated into established aquaculture areas used for seaweed farming. In the current study, wild©\caught juvenile sea cucumbers, Holothuria scabra, and red seaweed Kappaphycus striatum were co©\cultured on Zanzibar, United Republic of Tanzania. Sea cucumbers (97 g ¡À 31 SD, n = 52) were cultured in mesh enclosures at initial cage stocking densities of 124 ¡À 21 SD and 218 ¡À 16 SD g m?2 under seaweed culture lines. Over 83 days, individual growth rate (1.6 g d?1 ¡À 0.2 SD) of sea cucumbers at low stocking density was significantly higher (¦Ö2 = 8.292, d.f. = 1, P = 0.004) than at high©\stocking density (0.9 g d?1 ¡À 0.1 SD). Seaweed individual growth rates [6.27 (¡À0.3 SE) g d?1] were highest in co©\culture with sea cucumber at low density but did not differ significantly from high sea cucumber density or seaweed monoculture treatments (¦Ö2 = 3.0885, d.f. = 2, P = 0.2135). Seaweed growth varied significantly (¦Ö2 = 35.6, d.f. = 2, P < 0.0001) with sampling period, with the final sampling period resulting in the highest growth rate. Growth performance for seaweed and sea cucumbers (¦Ö2 = 3.089, d.f. = 2, P = 0.21 and ¦Ö2 = 0.08, d.f. = 1, P = 0.777 respectively), did not differ significantly between monoculture and co©\culture treatments, yet growth in co©\culture was comparable with that reported for existing commercial monoculture. Results indicate H. scabra is a highly viable candidate species for lagoon co©\culture with seaweed. Co©\culture offers a more efficient use of limited coastal space over monoculture and is recommended as a potential coastal livelihood option for lagoon farmers in tropical regions.
Keywords
sandfish; co©\culture; lagoon; seaweed farming; Zanzibar
Journal
Aquaculture Research: Volume 47, Issue 5
Status | Published |
---|---|
Funders | |
Publication date | 31/05/2016 |
Publication date online | 13/10/2014 |
Date accepted by journal | 13/10/2014 |
URL | |
ISSN | 1355-557X |
eISSN | 1365-2109 |