Growth, survival, proximate and fatty acid composition of sandworm Perinereis quatrefagesi (Grube, 1878) fed variable feed types

Abstract only.Sandworm Perinereis quatrefagesi has been used as feed for crustacean broodstock due to its reproductive-enhancing properties particularly protein and highly unsaturated fatty acids (HUFAs). Juvenile sandworms collected along the coast of Guimbal, Iloilo were reared in tanks and fed three nutritionally variable feed types: fish fecal waste, fish meal and rice bran. After 56 days, feeds affected (p-1 dry weight. High crude protein fish meal promoted better (p-1) than fish feces (1.2~c0.3% day-1) and rice bran (1.1~c0.3 % day-1). However, crude fat content of sandworm was higher (p-1) than in fecal waste (13.6~c2.9 g 100 g-1) and fish meal (10.5~c3.1 g 100 g-1) treatments. Levels of highly unsaturated fatty acids (HUFAs) such as 20:4 n-6, 22:6 n-3 and 20:5 n-3 did not differ significantly (p>0.05) at 0.41~c0.21 to 0.89~c0.51 g 100 g-1, 0.21~c0.24 to 0.43~c0.22 g 100 g-1 and 0.57~c0.46 to 0.88~c0.31 g 100 g-1, respectively. The study demonstrated that P. quatrefagesi: (1) can survive well in nutritionally variable feed types although it grows better in high protein diet; (2) crude protein levels were high regardless of feed types; and (3) crude fat content was high in high fat diet but n-3 and n-6 HUFAs were not significantly different regardless of feed types

Comparative study between biological and chemical agents for control sheath blight disease of rice

Biological control measures are indispensable to sustain global food security, due to it being economically profitable and environmentally sound. A comparative study was conducted to know the effectiveness of biological control measures compared with contact fungicide. Trichoderma spp. based bio fungicides Bioquick and Biospark were applied as preventive measures and contact fungicide as a curative measure for controlling sheath blight disease in rice varieties BR 71 and IR 24. Biospark and Bioquick were applied before disease development while, contact fungicide was used after the initiation of sheath blight disease. At the early stage of disease development, the effect of Bioquick, Biospark, and fungicide in terms of reducing percent relative lesion height and percent tiller infection are comparable. At 14 DAI and 18 DAI, contact fungicide performed best among the three control measures based on the two parameters. The genotypes of the rice accessions used in the study also appeared to be a factor in disease development, as evidenced by higher horizontal and vertical disease severity in BR71 than in IR24. Between comparison of Bioquick and Biospark in terms of reducing percent relative lesion height, percent tiller infection, and percent disease control, appeared to be higher in Biospark in both varieties. From this study, we can conclude that farmers can use Biospark as a biofungicide to get maximum benefit considering rice yield and ecology. However, its efficacy is slightly lower than chemical fungicides for controlling sheath blight disease of rice

Breeding and culture of the polychaete, Marphysa mossambica, as feed for the mud crab

Marine worms (Annelida: Polychaeta) are considered as important food for crustacean broodstock because they contain hormones and correct balance of essential nutrients for reproduction. Marphysa mossambica (Peters, 1854) occurs in muddy coastal areas and is abundant in fish farms where it builds burrows in nutrient-rich sediments. This species encapsulates their eggs and larvae in gelatinous masses (jelly cocoons). It is a multiple spawner, and breeders are repeatedly spawning in tanks. Culture techniques have also been developed and established in tanks. Based on dry weight, cultured M. mossambica contained 62-66% crude protein and 7-12% lipids with levels of highly unsaturated fatty acids (HUFAs) such as arachidonic (20:4n-6), eicosapentaenoic (20:5n-3) and docosahexaenoic acid (22:6n-3) at 0.2-0.5%, 0.2-0.3% and 0.3-0.5%, respectively. Stocks were monitored for the presence of white spot syndrome virus (WSSV) using polymerase chain reaction-based diagnostic methods. The WSSV-free polychaetes mass-produced in tanks were utilized as live food for mud crab S. serrata broodstock. Mud crab broodstock fed natural food (mussel, fish, and squid) with live Marphysa on daily feed rotation produced higher number of crab zoeae, larval survival, total lipids and HUFAs than those fed natural food without live Marphysa. Production of nutrient-rich WSSV-free polychaetes in captivity can play a significant role in supporting crustacean hatcheries that supply seeds to the nursery and grow-out

Growth, survival, proximate and fatty acid composition of sandworm Perinereis quatrefagesi (Grube, 1878) fed variable feed types

Abstract only.Sandworm Perinereis quatrefagesi has been used as feed for crustacean broodstock due to its reproductive-enhancing properties particularly protein and highly unsaturated fatty acids (HUFAs). Juvenile sandworms collected along the coast of Guimbal, Iloilo were reared in tanks and fed three nutritionally variable feed types: fish fecal waste, fish meal and rice bran. After 56 days, feeds affected (p-1 dry weight. High crude protein fish meal promoted better (p-1) than fish feces (1.2~c0.3% day-1) and rice bran (1.1~c0.3 % day-1). However, crude fat content of sandworm was higher (p-1) than in fecal waste (13.6~c2.9 g 100 g-1) and fish meal (10.5~c3.1 g 100 g-1) treatments. Levels of highly unsaturated fatty acids (HUFAs) such as 20:4 n-6, 22:6 n-3 and 20:5 n-3 did not differ significantly (p>0.05) at 0.41~c0.21 to 0.89~c0.51 g 100 g-1, 0.21~c0.24 to 0.43~c0.22 g 100 g-1 and 0.57~c0.46 to 0.88~c0.31 g 100 g-1, respectively. The study demonstrated that P. quatrefagesi: (1) can survive well in nutritionally variable feed types although it grows better in high protein diet; (2) crude protein levels were high regardless of feed types; and (3) crude fat content was high in high fat diet but n-3 and n-6 HUFAs were not significantly different regardless of feed types

Seaweed Gracilariopsis heteroclada, formulated flaked diet, and a combination of both as feed for the abalone Haliotis asinina: Effect on growth and survival

This paper compares the effect of feeding the abalone Haliotis asinina with seaweed (SW), formulated (FD), and mixed (SW+FD) diets. The feeding experiment, in six replicates, was conducted in a tank facility and lasted for 10 months. At the end of the experiment, abalone fed mixed diets had significantly the highest mean shell length and body weight (45.90±0.19 mm, 22.82±0.31 g), followed by those fed seaweeds (43.47±0.17 mm, 18.25±0.26 g), and lastly, by those fed formulated diets (41.78±0.18 mm, 15.76±0.22 g). Mean growth rates were significantly higher in abalone fed mixed diets at 1.48±0.03 mm and 1.69±0.04 g mo−1 than those fed seaweeds (1.26±0.03 mm, 1.27±0.06 g mo−1) or formulated diet (1.06±0.09 mm, 1.00±0.11 g mo−1). Survival was consistent 1 month from the start of culture until harvest—highest in abalone fed mixed diets (78.81±2.48%), followed by those fed seaweeds (70.12±4.07%), and lastly formulated diet (64.53±4.61%). Moreover, feed conversion ratios (FCR) were significantly lower in abalone fed mixed diets (15.48±0.69) and formulated diet (18.07±3.50) compared with those fed seaweeds (41.31±2.36). The body weight to shell length ratios (BW:SL), which were the same in all treatments at the start of the experiment (0.19 g mm−1), increased to 0.51, 0.44, and 0.38 in abalone fed mixed diets, seaweeds, and formulated diet, respectively. Based on the results of this experiment, giving abalone a mix of formulated and natural diets is the best feeding regime. The importance of a balanced and more nutritional diet on the well-being of the abalone was observed in this study.The authors greatly appreciate the Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center Aquaculture Department (SEAFDEC/AQD) for funding the study (Study Code: FD-04-M2020T)

Identifying mangrove areas for fisheries enhancement; population assessment in a patchy habitat

Small-scale fisheries are an important element of the ecosystem goods and services that mangrove habitats provide, especially to poorer coastal communities that rely most on natural resources, and have similar values to payments for ecosystem services (PES) under carbon-trading schemes.In advance of fishery-enhancement trials for the mud crab Scylla olivacea, a mark–recapture study was conducted to estimate population size and turnover in 50 ha of isolated mangrove on Panay Island, Philippines. A total of 811 crabs were released in six sessions with an overall recapture rate of 41.5 ± 3.6%. Population size ranged from 607–1637 individuals.There was a high degree of site-fidelity, with 45.5% of recaptures in the same sampling areas as releases. Total mortality was 0.79 month-1, with fishing mortality accounting for 95% of overall mortality.Von Bertalanffy and Gompertz growth models yielded estimates for L∞ (carapace width) of 117.3 ± 14.7 and 110.6 ± 2.1 mm and for k of 2.16 ± 0.74 and 3.25 ± 0.81, respectively. Crab densities of 12–33 individuals ha-1 in the study area were lower than in other mangrove systems owing to intermittent recruitment, while growth rates indicated no limitation in terms of food supply.The study demonstrates that in specific mangrove habitats that are below carrying capacity, there is potential for fisheries enhancement to sustain or increase direct economic benefits from mangrove ecosystems and hence promote community engagement in broader conservation and PES initiatives.This research was supported by the European Commission, INCO DC grant (contract ECA4-CT-2001-10022)

Baseline assessment of fisheries for three species of mud crabs (Scylla spp.) in the mangroves of Ibajay, Aklan, Philippines

The full text is free.Stock enhancement through habitat restoration and habitat release have both been considered as approaches to the management of declining Scylla spp. Prior to stock enhancement trials, the present study was conducted to monitor recruitment and yields of three Scylla spp. in ∼70 ha of natural mangroves in Aklan, Panay, Philippines. Results showed that Scylla olivacea (Herbst, 1796) was the most abundant mud crab species, comprising 95% of the catches over the 4 yr sampling period. Size distribution for this species indicated year-round recruitment with peaks in the numbers of smaller, immature crabs during the summer months. The decreasing mean size at capture, yield and CPUE in terms of weight throughout the 4-yr sampling period is an indication that the area has been subjected to heavy fishing pressure. The constant CPUE in terms of numbers of crabs suggests that recruitment is constant, though this is likely to be lower than in other mangrove areas due to the topography of the site with limited access to the open sea, resulting in relatively low crab abundance and yields. Combined with the fidelity of S. olivacea to the mangrove habitat, this indicates a suitable population for investigation of the effectiveness of a hatchery-release program.This study was supported by EU-INCO contract IC-CT-2001-10022. We thank the crab collectors in the villages of Naisud and Bugtong Bato, Ibajay, Aklan for collecting crabs during sampling regardless of time and weather, J. Altamirano, J. Inguillo, R. Ramos, W. Sayson, and A. Traje for the assistance with mapping the study site

Enhancing mud crab population through mangrove restoration

Abstract only.Mangroves are known as important nurseries for different species of fish and shellfish. In the Philippines, mud crabs Scylla spp. are among the most valuable crustaceans harvested from the mangroves and are considered a delicacy. However, varying levels of overfishing have been reported in different parts of the country. The decrease in production may be due to increasing demand for the resource and the loss of mangrove habitat. This problem may be addressed through regulation of fishing effort, rehabilitation of habitats, mangrove-friendly aquaculture and enhancement of wild crab stocks. This study shows the effect of mangrove rehabilitation on mud crab population. From July 2010 to December 2011, a total of 2.166 tons of mud crabs (n=17,558) have been collected from a 66.5 ha abandoned pond that has been recolonized by mangroves. The catch was dominated by S. olivacea (79.96%), then S. tranquebarica (19.92%) and S. serrata (0.12%). Male to female ratio was at 1.09:1. Individual daily yield ranged from 0.06 to 8.4 kg while catch per unit effort in terms of quantity and biomass ranged 0.02-1.46 crab gear-1 day-1 and 1.1-213.54 g gear-1 day-1, respectively. The results showed that mud crab population in this study site was much higher than the population in the reforested (Walton et al., 2006, 2007) and natural mangroves (Lebata et al., 2007) with almost the same area. For 18 months of sampling (April 2002-September 2003), only 3,924 crabs were sampled in the natural mangroves while 10,504 in the reforested mangroves. Mud crab production in the present study site resulted in a yield of 21 kg ha-1 yr-1, 5 and 3 times higher than the yield reported in the natural and reforested mangrove areas, respectively. These results imply that habitat restoration can be very effective in restoring natural populations of mud crab

Evaluation of hatchery-based enhancement of the mud crab, Scylla spp., fisheries in mangroves: comparison of species and release strategies

Ranching, stock enhancement and restocking are management approaches involving the release of wild or hatchery-bred organisms to enhance, conserve or restore fisheries. The present study, conducted from April 2002 to November 2005, evaluated the effectiveness of releasing wild and hatchery-reared (HR) mud crabs in the mangroves of Ibajay, Aklan, Philippines where preliminary studies demonstrated declining fishery yields, abundance and size of crabs. Comparison of survival and growth of wild-released and HR Scylla olivacea and HR Scylla serrata demonstrated the effect of nursery conditioning, size-at-release and species differences. Overall yield and catch per unit effort (CPUE) increased by 46% after stock enhancement trials. Recapture rates of released crabs were highest in wild-released S. olivacea and in crabs measuring 65.0–69.9 mm carapace width (CW) and lowest in non-conditioned HR S. serrata. Growth rates were highest for conditioned HR S. olivacea and lowest for conditioned HR S. serrata (11.7 and 3.7 mm month-1 respectively). Fishing mortality was highest for S. olivacea, whereas natural mortality was greater for S. serrata. Conditioning hatchery-bred animals before release is also important in obtaining higher survival. S. olivacea was the more appropriate of the two species for release in mangrove habitats inundated with low-salinity water. However, there is a need for site-specific studies to evaluate the effectiveness of releases