Growth and photosynthetic rates of Chlamydomonas plethora and Nitzschia frustula cultures isolated from Kuwait Bay, Arabian Gulf, and their potential as live algal food for tropical mariculture

Abstract

AbstractWith a view to utilize local algae as food organisms in mariculture, the green alga Chlamydomonas plethora and the diatom Nitzschia frustula were isolated and studied from the unique coastal waters arid zone off Kuwait. Batch cultures of C. plethora and N. frustula had maximum division rates (μmax) of 2.5 and 3.4 day−1, respectively. Cultures grown for 36 h yielded comparable growth rates. Photosynthesis‐irradiance relationships in cultures harvested at various phases of growth showed that cultures attained log phase after 1‐day growth and yielded the highest assimilation numbers (P: μg C [μg Chl a]−1 h−1): 22.8 for C. plethora and 18.1 for N. frustula. Their initial slopes (αB: ng C [μg Chl a]−1 h−1 [μmol m−2 s−1]−1 were also the highest observed so far: 79.5 for C. plethora and 39.6 for N. frustula. Photoinhibition was low. Compared with these, assimilation numbers in senescent cultures of 20‐day growth were <8% of the maximum for both species, and the initial slope decreased to 17 and 13% in C. plethora and N. frustula, respectively. Two polyunsaturated fatty acids (20:5n‐3 eicosapentaenoic acid and 22:6n‐3 docosahexaenoic acid) that are essential in many marine animal diets constituted up to 24% and 1.9% of the total fatty acids, respectively. Of the two algae, N. frustula contained higher levels of 16:1n‐7, 20:5n‐3 and comparatively low levels of 22:6n‐3 fatty acids. Due to its rapid growth, high photosynthetic rate and presence of the amino acids leucine, lysine, glutamic acid and arginine N. frustula has good potential as a feed organism in mariculture applications. The capacity of these algae to produce a wide range of size groups (nano and net plankton) is an additional bonus for mariculture operations.