You Are What You Eat: California Sea Cucumbers Become “Fishier” After Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture with Chinook Salmon
Recent interest in integrated multi-trophic aquaculture (IMTA) as an ecologically-sustainable and climate-conscious aquaculture system has resulted in testing different species partnerships and configurations in anticipation of industrialization. Deposit feeders like the California sea cucumber (<...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2025-04-01
|
| Series: | Fishes |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2410-3888/10/4/154 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1850144877746061312 |
|---|---|
| author | Emaline M. Montgomery Barb L. Cannon Miki Nomura Rodrigo B. Leme Ian P. Forster Christopher M. Pearce |
| author_facet | Emaline M. Montgomery Barb L. Cannon Miki Nomura Rodrigo B. Leme Ian P. Forster Christopher M. Pearce |
| author_sort | Emaline M. Montgomery |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Recent interest in integrated multi-trophic aquaculture (IMTA) as an ecologically-sustainable and climate-conscious aquaculture system has resulted in testing different species partnerships and configurations in anticipation of industrialization. Deposit feeders like the California sea cucumber (<i>Apostichopus californicus</i>) have been suggested as ideal partners for IMTA with finfish, due to their ability to consume fish waste as well as their passive nature. However, the nutritional impacts of feeding on fish waste in IMTA have not yet been established for this species. The present study tested the effect of 3 months of inclusion in IMTA with Chinook salmon (<i>Oncorhynchus tshawytscha</i>) on the fatty-acid and nitrogenous-metabolite profiles of California sea cucumbers. The fatty-acid profiles of IMTA sea cucumbers showed significant changes from wild reference individuals, while few differences were detected in amino acids and other nitrogenous metabolites. Sea cucumbers housed directly in cages with salmon showed distinct shifts in their fatty-acid profiles toward higher levels of MUFAs and lower levels of SFAs, while PUFA concentrations remained the same. Sea cucumbers included in IMTA with finfish may be even more healthful for humans due to the accumulation of certain unsaturated fatty acids in their tissues not seen in wild reference individuals. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-67b9c8ff5480449cb2e2e97cab9d8733 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2410-3888 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-04-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Fishes |
| spelling | doaj-art-67b9c8ff5480449cb2e2e97cab9d87332025-08-20T02:28:14ZengMDPI AGFishes2410-38882025-04-0110415410.3390/fishes10040154You Are What You Eat: California Sea Cucumbers Become “Fishier” After Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture with Chinook SalmonEmaline M. Montgomery0Barb L. Cannon1Miki Nomura2Rodrigo B. Leme3Ian P. Forster4Christopher M. Pearce5Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Pacific Biological Station, Nanaimo, BC V9T 6N7, CanadaCreative Salmon Co., Ltd., Tofino, BC V0R 2Z0, CanadaFisheries and Oceans Canada, Pacific Science Enterprise Centre, West Vancouver, BC V7V 1H2, CanadaCreative Salmon Co., Ltd., Tofino, BC V0R 2Z0, CanadaFisheries and Oceans Canada, Pacific Science Enterprise Centre, West Vancouver, BC V7V 1H2, CanadaFisheries and Oceans Canada, Pacific Biological Station, Nanaimo, BC V9T 6N7, CanadaRecent interest in integrated multi-trophic aquaculture (IMTA) as an ecologically-sustainable and climate-conscious aquaculture system has resulted in testing different species partnerships and configurations in anticipation of industrialization. Deposit feeders like the California sea cucumber (<i>Apostichopus californicus</i>) have been suggested as ideal partners for IMTA with finfish, due to their ability to consume fish waste as well as their passive nature. However, the nutritional impacts of feeding on fish waste in IMTA have not yet been established for this species. The present study tested the effect of 3 months of inclusion in IMTA with Chinook salmon (<i>Oncorhynchus tshawytscha</i>) on the fatty-acid and nitrogenous-metabolite profiles of California sea cucumbers. The fatty-acid profiles of IMTA sea cucumbers showed significant changes from wild reference individuals, while few differences were detected in amino acids and other nitrogenous metabolites. Sea cucumbers housed directly in cages with salmon showed distinct shifts in their fatty-acid profiles toward higher levels of MUFAs and lower levels of SFAs, while PUFA concentrations remained the same. Sea cucumbers included in IMTA with finfish may be even more healthful for humans due to the accumulation of certain unsaturated fatty acids in their tissues not seen in wild reference individuals.https://www.mdpi.com/2410-3888/10/4/154amino acids<i>Apostichopus californicus</i>Chinook salmonfatty acidsIMTAintegrated multi-trophic aquaculture |
| spellingShingle | Emaline M. Montgomery Barb L. Cannon Miki Nomura Rodrigo B. Leme Ian P. Forster Christopher M. Pearce You Are What You Eat: California Sea Cucumbers Become “Fishier” After Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture with Chinook Salmon Fishes amino acids <i>Apostichopus californicus</i> Chinook salmon fatty acids IMTA integrated multi-trophic aquaculture |
| title | You Are What You Eat: California Sea Cucumbers Become “Fishier” After Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture with Chinook Salmon |
| title_full | You Are What You Eat: California Sea Cucumbers Become “Fishier” After Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture with Chinook Salmon |
| title_fullStr | You Are What You Eat: California Sea Cucumbers Become “Fishier” After Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture with Chinook Salmon |
| title_full_unstemmed | You Are What You Eat: California Sea Cucumbers Become “Fishier” After Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture with Chinook Salmon |
| title_short | You Are What You Eat: California Sea Cucumbers Become “Fishier” After Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture with Chinook Salmon |
| title_sort | you are what you eat california sea cucumbers become fishier after integrated multi trophic aquaculture with chinook salmon |
| topic | amino acids <i>Apostichopus californicus</i> Chinook salmon fatty acids IMTA integrated multi-trophic aquaculture |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2410-3888/10/4/154 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT emalinemmontgomery youarewhatyoueatcaliforniaseacucumbersbecomefishierafterintegratedmultitrophicaquaculturewithchinooksalmon AT barblcannon youarewhatyoueatcaliforniaseacucumbersbecomefishierafterintegratedmultitrophicaquaculturewithchinooksalmon AT mikinomura youarewhatyoueatcaliforniaseacucumbersbecomefishierafterintegratedmultitrophicaquaculturewithchinooksalmon AT rodrigobleme youarewhatyoueatcaliforniaseacucumbersbecomefishierafterintegratedmultitrophicaquaculturewithchinooksalmon AT ianpforster youarewhatyoueatcaliforniaseacucumbersbecomefishierafterintegratedmultitrophicaquaculturewithchinooksalmon AT christophermpearce youarewhatyoueatcaliforniaseacucumbersbecomefishierafterintegratedmultitrophicaquaculturewithchinooksalmon |