Ingestion, digestion, growth and survival of green mussel Perna viridis pediveliger larvae fed different microalgae

Nutrition plays a critical role in the growth and development of green mussel Perna viridis larvae. In this study, three species of tropical microalgae were investigated to determine their efficacy as feed source for the pediveliger stage. Larvae (2 larvae ml(-1)) were given Isochrysis galbana (Iso), Chaetoceros calcitrans (Cc), and Tetraselmis tetrahele (Tt) at 100,000 cells ml(-1). No statistically significant difference in survival was found among treatments. The Cc diet promoted maximum growth in terms of final shell height and shell length, as well as instantaneous growth rate. Filtration rates were high, but were not significantly different. A significantly higher ingestion rate was observed in Cc-fed compared with Iso- and Tt-fed larvae. Moreover, all diets examined were readily ingested and digested by the larvae, with faster cell digestion in Cc-fed larvae based on epifluorescence microscopy. This study demonstrated that C. calcitrans, I. galbana, and T. tetrahele were all acceptable and digestible for the animals, but in terms of growth parameters and filtration and ingestion rates, C. calcitrans performed best. Information on food digestibility and feeding habits of green mussel will provide us with a better understanding of the appropriate food to be given that will suit their feeding biology and improve their production in captivity.