The effect of marine algae (Gracilaria verrucosa) formulated feed on the growth rate, survival rate and chemical composition of abalone (Haliotis squamata) reared in marine submersible cages

Abstract

The use of formulated feed in the marine abalone rearing is one effort to anticipate the dependency on the common practice of using fresh feed/natural feed. The study aimed to formulate an alternative feed by utilizing marine algae (Gracillaria verrucosa), fish meal, and bran. The study was performed in Lae-Lae Island waters, Makassar, from May to October 2016. This study employed one month-old abalone juveniles with an average of 5 g initial weight, devided in two stages, i. eexperimental culture condition and experimental diet and feeding. The parameters observed in in thisstudy are the chemical composition of the tissue of abalone and the relative growth. The results indicated that the formulated feed did not significantly affect the growth rate, survival rate, and chemical composition of tropical abalone reared in the marine submersible cages (P>0.05). However, the growth and survival rate of the abalone had a high percentage. Different percentages in marine algae supplementation contributed to similar reponse regrding growth rate, survival rate and chemical composition of the soft tissue of tropical abalone. In addition, after supplying formulated feed, protein composition also indicated an increase.