The culture of the tropical sea urchin Salmacis sphaeroides: A new candidate for aquaculture in South China

Sea urchins produced by aquaculture could enhance declining wild populations and provide a sufficient roe product to satisfy increasing market demand. This study reports a method for large-scale rearing of the edible tropical sea urchin Salmacis sphaeroides, from induction of larval metamorphosis an...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Yikun Cen, Youkai Tu, Jinhui Wu, Hong Wu, Dong Wang, Zonghe Yu
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2024-12-01
Series:Aquaculture Reports
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352513424004599
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1850106759743537152
author Yikun Cen
Youkai Tu
Jinhui Wu
Hong Wu
Dong Wang
Zonghe Yu
author_facet Yikun Cen
Youkai Tu
Jinhui Wu
Hong Wu
Dong Wang
Zonghe Yu
author_sort Yikun Cen
collection DOAJ
description Sea urchins produced by aquaculture could enhance declining wild populations and provide a sufficient roe product to satisfy increasing market demand. This study reports a method for large-scale rearing of the edible tropical sea urchin Salmacis sphaeroides, from induction of larval metamorphosis and settlement, to juvenile rearing and grow-out. Larvae were reared in 500-L hatchery tanks, on a diet of the microalga Chaetoceros muelleri at concentrations ranging from 2500 to 24,000 cells mL−1, with daily water renewal of one-third to two-thirds of the volume depending on their developmental stage. The larvae breeding protocol proved suitable for this species, and competent larvae occurred at 12 days post-fertilization. To induce metamorphosis, we tested exposure to potassium chloride (KCl) at different concentrations (0, 25, 50, 100, 200, and 400 mmol L−1) and for different durations (5, 10, and 20 min). Exposure to 200 mmol L−1 KCl for 5 min resulted in the highest proportion of metamorphosed individuals (41.67 ± 2.89 %). Using this method, the densities of juveniles attaching to settlement plates (232.50 ± 41.23 ind. per plate; settlement percentage ca. 3.88 ± 0.69 %) were approximately twice as high as those of the controls (105.75 ± 15.52 ind. per plate; settlement percentage ca. 1.76 ± 0.26 %). Next, two batches of juveniles were grown out in sea cages. In the first batch (deployed for ca. 4 months), the absolute growth rate of the test diameter (AGRD) was 12.79 ± 0.98 mm month−1 from May to September; in the second batch (deployed for 6 months), the AGRD was 5.68 ± 0.90 mm month−1 from October to May of the following year. Survival of the juvenile S. sphaeroides in the sea cages was high (86.56 %–100 %). Finally, the S. sphaeroides cultivated in the second batch were harvested (at a mean test diameter of 71.24 ± 1.45 mm, and wet weight of 101.24 ± 1.91 g) on May 28 of the second year; all animals had matured and could be successfully utilized as broodstock. The fatty acid composition of the gonads was then compared between cultivated and wild-collected adult S. sphaeroides. The proportion of polyunsaturated fatty acids in the cultivated sea urchins (16.59 ± 0.67 %) exceeded that in wild-collected individuals (13.13 ± 0.42 %). From these experiments we conclude that S. sphaeroides is a sea urchin species with excellent potential for aquaculture; the present methods and data will provide helpful information for their mass production in South China.
format Article
id doaj-art-e170e0d44c1544b39bd469e0732d0cee
institution OA Journals
issn 2352-5134
language English
publishDate 2024-12-01
publisher Elsevier
record_format Article
series Aquaculture Reports
spelling doaj-art-e170e0d44c1544b39bd469e0732d0cee2025-08-20T02:38:45ZengElsevierAquaculture Reports2352-51342024-12-013910237110.1016/j.aqrep.2024.102371The culture of the tropical sea urchin Salmacis sphaeroides: A new candidate for aquaculture in South ChinaYikun Cen0Youkai Tu1Jinhui Wu2Hong Wu3Dong Wang4Zonghe Yu5College of Marine Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642,ChinaCollege of Marine Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642,ChinaAgro-Tech Extension Center of Guangdong Province, Guangzhou 510520, ChinaCollege of Marine Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642,ChinaCollege of Marine Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642,ChinaCollege of Marine Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642,China; Corresponding author.Sea urchins produced by aquaculture could enhance declining wild populations and provide a sufficient roe product to satisfy increasing market demand. This study reports a method for large-scale rearing of the edible tropical sea urchin Salmacis sphaeroides, from induction of larval metamorphosis and settlement, to juvenile rearing and grow-out. Larvae were reared in 500-L hatchery tanks, on a diet of the microalga Chaetoceros muelleri at concentrations ranging from 2500 to 24,000 cells mL−1, with daily water renewal of one-third to two-thirds of the volume depending on their developmental stage. The larvae breeding protocol proved suitable for this species, and competent larvae occurred at 12 days post-fertilization. To induce metamorphosis, we tested exposure to potassium chloride (KCl) at different concentrations (0, 25, 50, 100, 200, and 400 mmol L−1) and for different durations (5, 10, and 20 min). Exposure to 200 mmol L−1 KCl for 5 min resulted in the highest proportion of metamorphosed individuals (41.67 ± 2.89 %). Using this method, the densities of juveniles attaching to settlement plates (232.50 ± 41.23 ind. per plate; settlement percentage ca. 3.88 ± 0.69 %) were approximately twice as high as those of the controls (105.75 ± 15.52 ind. per plate; settlement percentage ca. 1.76 ± 0.26 %). Next, two batches of juveniles were grown out in sea cages. In the first batch (deployed for ca. 4 months), the absolute growth rate of the test diameter (AGRD) was 12.79 ± 0.98 mm month−1 from May to September; in the second batch (deployed for 6 months), the AGRD was 5.68 ± 0.90 mm month−1 from October to May of the following year. Survival of the juvenile S. sphaeroides in the sea cages was high (86.56 %–100 %). Finally, the S. sphaeroides cultivated in the second batch were harvested (at a mean test diameter of 71.24 ± 1.45 mm, and wet weight of 101.24 ± 1.91 g) on May 28 of the second year; all animals had matured and could be successfully utilized as broodstock. The fatty acid composition of the gonads was then compared between cultivated and wild-collected adult S. sphaeroides. The proportion of polyunsaturated fatty acids in the cultivated sea urchins (16.59 ± 0.67 %) exceeded that in wild-collected individuals (13.13 ± 0.42 %). From these experiments we conclude that S. sphaeroides is a sea urchin species with excellent potential for aquaculture; the present methods and data will provide helpful information for their mass production in South China.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352513424004599Sea urchinLarval rearingMetamorphosisSea cageNutritional value
spellingShingle Yikun Cen
Youkai Tu
Jinhui Wu
Hong Wu
Dong Wang
Zonghe Yu
The culture of the tropical sea urchin Salmacis sphaeroides: A new candidate for aquaculture in South China
Aquaculture Reports
Sea urchin
Larval rearing
Metamorphosis
Sea cage
Nutritional value
title The culture of the tropical sea urchin Salmacis sphaeroides: A new candidate for aquaculture in South China
title_full The culture of the tropical sea urchin Salmacis sphaeroides: A new candidate for aquaculture in South China
title_fullStr The culture of the tropical sea urchin Salmacis sphaeroides: A new candidate for aquaculture in South China
title_full_unstemmed The culture of the tropical sea urchin Salmacis sphaeroides: A new candidate for aquaculture in South China
title_short The culture of the tropical sea urchin Salmacis sphaeroides: A new candidate for aquaculture in South China
title_sort culture of the tropical sea urchin salmacis sphaeroides a new candidate for aquaculture in south china
topic Sea urchin
Larval rearing
Metamorphosis
Sea cage
Nutritional value
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352513424004599
work_keys_str_mv AT yikuncen thecultureofthetropicalseaurchinsalmacissphaeroidesanewcandidateforaquacultureinsouthchina
AT youkaitu thecultureofthetropicalseaurchinsalmacissphaeroidesanewcandidateforaquacultureinsouthchina
AT jinhuiwu thecultureofthetropicalseaurchinsalmacissphaeroidesanewcandidateforaquacultureinsouthchina
AT hongwu thecultureofthetropicalseaurchinsalmacissphaeroidesanewcandidateforaquacultureinsouthchina
AT dongwang thecultureofthetropicalseaurchinsalmacissphaeroidesanewcandidateforaquacultureinsouthchina
AT zongheyu thecultureofthetropicalseaurchinsalmacissphaeroidesanewcandidateforaquacultureinsouthchina
AT yikuncen cultureofthetropicalseaurchinsalmacissphaeroidesanewcandidateforaquacultureinsouthchina
AT youkaitu cultureofthetropicalseaurchinsalmacissphaeroidesanewcandidateforaquacultureinsouthchina
AT jinhuiwu cultureofthetropicalseaurchinsalmacissphaeroidesanewcandidateforaquacultureinsouthchina
AT hongwu cultureofthetropicalseaurchinsalmacissphaeroidesanewcandidateforaquacultureinsouthchina
AT dongwang cultureofthetropicalseaurchinsalmacissphaeroidesanewcandidateforaquacultureinsouthchina
AT zongheyu cultureofthetropicalseaurchinsalmacissphaeroidesanewcandidateforaquacultureinsouthchina