Effects of Feed Type and Temperature on Growth of Juvenile Abalone, Haliotis discus hannai Ino

Abstract

Effects of feed type and temperature on growth and body composition of juvenile abalone, Haliotis discus hannai Ino, were determined. A 2 (feed types: formulated diet and dry sea tangle) × 3 (temperature conditions: 20, 23 and 26 C) factorial design with triplicate was used. Seventy juvenile abalone averaging 4.7 g were randomly distributed into each of 18, 50‐L plastic rectangular containers. Six containers were placed into each temperature condition of three 1.3 ton concrete flow‐through raceway systems. Abalone were daily fed with either the formulated diet or dry sea tangle once a day to satiation level. Survival was affected by feed type, but not by temperature. Weight gain of abalone was affected by both feed type and temperature. Regardless of temperature, weight gain of abalone fed the formulated diet was better than that of abalone fed the dry sea tangle. Shell length and width were affected by feed type, but not by temperature. In conclusion, weight gain of abalone was affected by both feed type and temperature, but feed type had a stronger effect than temperature. The formulated diet achieved better growth of abalone than the dry sea tangle regardless of temperature and 20 C seemed to be recommendable for abalone among temperature tested.