EFFECT OF RECOMBINANT VERTEBRATE GROWTH-HORMONES ON GROWTH OF ADULT ABALONE, HALIOTIS-KAMTSCHATKANA

Enhancement of cultivar growth through hormone treatment is of interes t in aquaculture research owing to its potential for increasing produc tion, In this study, injection of exogenous growth hormones was invest igated as a means of enhancing growth in adult abalone, Haliotis kamts chatkana. Fifty individually caged abalone were held in a common aquar ium tank with a constant flow of fresh ambient seawater and fed ad lib itum on kelp (Nereocystis leutkeana). The abalone were divided into fi ve groups of ten animals each. Every group had a similar mean weight ( 78 g) and length (7 cm). Four groups received weekly intramuscular inj ections (5 mu g g(-1) body weight) of either (1) recombinant bovine gr owth hormone, (2) recombinant porcine growth hormone, (3) somatostatin , or (4) bovine serum albumin. The fifth group served as an uninjected control. The abalone were weighed biweekly throughout the 10 week exp eriment. Water content and gonad index were assessed for each group at the end of the experimental. period, There were no significant differ ences in weight gain, water content, or gonad index among the five gro ups.