FISH AS POTENTIAL BIOCONTROLLERS OF GRACILARIA (RHODOPHYTA) CULTURE

Food preferences were studied in 11 fish species in order to find out their potential as epiphyte and copepod controllers in Gracilaria cult ures, The fish were exposed to mixtures of Gracilaria and Ulva with ot her epiphytes included, in the presence of copepods, and the intestina l content of the fish was determined. Aphanius dispar and Tilapia zill ii (acclimated to seawater) emerged as potentially useful epiphyte con trollers, and Aphanius dispar and Diplodus annularis were potential co pepod controllers in Gracilaria cultures.