The growth rate of two species of microalgae used in shellfish hatcheries cultured under two light regimes

Abstract

. The production potential of any shellfish hatchery depends on the capacity of its algal system. The hypothesis that microalgal cultures grown under 12:12h light:dark photoperiod may produce the same cell densities as those using constant light is tested. Two species of marine microalgae used in shellfish hatcheries. Chaetoceros gracilis Schutt and Isochrysis galbana clone T-iso, were grown in cultures at 18°C, under continuous light (1.43 × 107μ-2day-1) and 12:12h light:dark cycles (2.87 × 107μE m-2 day-1). Both light regimes provided equal amounts of light per day. In the continuous light cultures the mean doublings per day for exponentially growing cells were 1.37 and 1.49 for C. gracilis and I. galbana respectively and for the 12:12h light:dark cycles were 1.47 and 1.56 respectively. After 14 days of growth, the numbers of cells per unit of volume showed no significant differences between the two light regimes. The results are discussed in terms of a review of other authors’ findings and in terms of the usefulness of the continuous light method in producing algae to be used in shellfish hatcheries.