Observations on the food value of seven species of Algae to the larvae of Ostrea Edulis I. Feeding experiments

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Abstract
Six species of algae, Chlorella marina Butcher, Dunaliella tertiolecta Butcher, Isochrysis galbana Parke, Monochrysis lutheri Droop, Phaeodactylum tricornutum Bohlin and Hemiselmis virescens Droop were fed to oyster larvae in bacteria-free culture. In addition, cultures of Chlorella stigmatophora Butcher, Isochrysis galbana and Phaeodactylum tricornutum containing bacteria were also used. Cultures of galbana containing bacteria were used as controls in all series of experiments. In each series various densities of food, expressed both as cell numbers and as packed cell volume, were fed to the larvae of Ostrea edulis L. for 22–46 h and the change in the mean size of the larval population was used as the index of the value of the food.The experiments with Chlorella confirmed previous work that organisms of this genus have little value as food for larvae. With Dunaliella and Phaeodactylum growth was better at low food densities with some (but not all) batches of larvae compared with Isochrysis. The comparison of cultures of Isochrysis and Phaeodactylum with and without bacteria showed no consistent improved growth with either food. Monochrysis had about the same food value as Isochrysis. With Hemiselmis some growth was obtained but not as much as with Isochrysis.

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