EFFECT OF TEMPERATURE ON GROWTH, FEED CONSUMPTION AND NUTRITIONAL INDEXES OF HALIOTIS-MIDAE FED A FORMULATED DIET

Commercial farmers using formulated feeds need to know what ration siz e to feed their abalone. Ln two growth trials the effect of temperatur e and abalone size on growth rate and nutritional indices of abalone f ed a dry formulated diet was quantified. Between 12 and 20 degrees C g rowth rate and feed consumption increased, protein-efficiency ratio (P ER) improved and FCR did not differ significantly. However, between 20 and 24 degrees C, growth and feed consumption declined sharply, and P ER and FCR deteriorated. The condition factor of abalone decreased wit h increasing temperature. It was concluded that temperatures between 1 2 and 20 degrees C are physiologically optimal for H. midae. This rang e corresponds to the mean sea temperature range experienced by H. mida e within its natural range, Feed consumption, expressed as a percentag e of body weight per day, decreased with increasing abalone size. A mo del which predicts feed consumption as a function of temperature, shel l length and feed-conversion ratio was developed. (C) 1997 Elsevier Sc ience B,V.