THE EFFECT OF SEAWEED DIETS ON GROWTH OF GREEN ABALONE, HALIOTIS FULGENS, FROM BAJA CALIFORNIA, MEXICO.

Two abalone species: green Haliotis fulgens and yellow Halioti corrugata represent nearly 97% of the total production in the Mexican abalone fishery. It has been assumed that abalone feed on the kelp algae Macrocystis pyrifera. Regional hatcheries use this species as a main source of natural food. M. pyrifera does not occur at the southern limit of the distribution of abalone species along the Baja California Peninsula. In this study, growth rates of juveniles H. fulgens, 17.3 ± 2.2 mm shell length and 0.4 ± 0.2 g body weight, were evaluated. Juveniles were fed with common species in the benthic environments inhabited by abalone along the western coast of Baja California during 191 days. Three diets were based on algae: palm kelp, Eisenia arborea, giant kelp, M. pyrifera and Gelidium robustum, and one on seagrass, Phyllospadix torreyi. Shell length and body growth rates varied between 21.5 μm day⁻¹ and 2.2 mg day⁻¹ for E. arborea and between 45.9 μm day⁻¹ and 6.7 mg day⁻¹ for M. pyrifera. Higher specific growth rates (SGR) in length and weight were determined for M. pyrifera: 0.2% and 0.7% day⁻¹. Significant differences between values of juveniles fed M. pyrifera with the rest of the diets were found. The highest mortality (21%) was in juveniles fed the red algae G. robustum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]