Efectos de las dietas de granulado seco sobre el crecimiento y la supervivencia del erizo de mar comestible Arbacia stellata (Blainville, 1825) para una factibilidad del equinocultivo

Abstract

The sea urchin, Arbacia stellata is part of a new biofood landscape for the global marine non-food organisms to be used as nutraceuticals. A 98-day feeding trial (a simple completely randomized experimental design) was performed using specimens of A. stellata (n= 88; 29.3 ± 0.2 mm and 14.5 ± 0.3 g mean initial test diameter and weight, respectively) to evaluate the efficacy of three isoproteic diets containing crustacean and vegetable protein sources in different combinations, for developing a low-cost dry formulated diet for promoting their growth (in test diameter and weight), gonadal yield and survival. Diet 1 (shrimp, Penaeus vannamei), Diet 2 (Sacha Inchi, Plukenetia volubilis) and Diet 3 (mixed diet) were prepared. Six individuals per treatment were used. They were fed 1% in relation to the average body weight per container (0.86-0.97 g), every 48 hours under ad libitum condition. Diets 2 and 3 produced a significantly better performance for growth in test diameter 31.58 ± 0.21 mm, SGR= 0.0066 ± 0.0001 mm mo-1 and 31.18 ± 0.35 mm, SGR= 0.0064 ± 0.0001 mm mo-1, respectively. Similar results of growth in weight were obtained with diets 2 and 3, 19.13 ± 0.52 g, SGR= 0.0413 ± 0.0019 g mo-1 and 19.08 ± 0.48 g, SGR= 0.0377 ± 0.0017 g mo-1, respectively. Feed conversion ratio and gonadal index were better with diets 2 and 3. In general, the lowest performance was obtained with diet 1. Survival was greater than 54% and the starved group died on day 42. This study indicates that plant-based diets and the combination of various protein sources in the diets produced remarkable biological responses to A. stellata growth.