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Juvenile sea cucumber Isostichopus fuscus measuring 1.5 cm in length and showing the tentacles (T), early body wall pigments (P), intestine (I), ambulacral podia (AP), anus (A) and papillae (PA).
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This paper presents the results of the first attempt to breed the sea cucumber Isostichopus fuscus in land-based installations on the coast of Ecuador. This species has been intensively fished along the mainland and around the Galapagos Islands, where efforts at management have always met strong opposition from local communities. Ecuadorian populat...
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... For instance, sea cucumber Stichopus japonicus thrives optimally at temperatures between 10-15°C, salinities of 28-34 ppt, depths of 5-10 meters, and on muddy stone substrates with less than 20% mud content [27]. Water quality parameters used for the development of the sea cucumber species Isostichopus fuscus from fertilization to 35 mm long juveniles included a salinity of 34-35, a temperature range of 22 to 29°C, a pH of 8.4-8.5, and dissolved oxygen levels between 5.4 and 6.1 mg/l [28]. ...
Sea cucumbers, which belong to the Phylum Echinodermata, possess significant potential for cultivation. However, these invertebrates require further investigation concerning various aspects of their cultivation, including their feeding habits and diet composition. Research on the dietary requirements of sea cucumbers aims to identify their primary and supplementary food sources, which can serve as references for the provision of natural feed in future sea cucumber farming efforts. Data collection was conducted through random sampling in the Socah Waters, Bangkalan Regency. Observations of the food type found in the intestines of sea cucumbers revealed the presence of plankton, sediment, and detritus. The plankton species identified in the intestines include Cyclotella kuatzingiana, Chaetoceros densus, and Thalassiosira fluviatilis. The diet composition varied among the three sea cucumber species studied: Paracaudina australis, Phyllophorus sp., and Colochirus quadrangularis. In Paracaudina australis, the food composition consists of Cyclotella kuatzingiana (55%), Thalassiosira fluviatilis (30%), sediment (10%), and detritus (5%). For Phyllophorus sp., the composition consists of sediment (70%), detritus (15%), Thalassiosira fluviatilis (10%), and Chaetoceros densus (5%). In Colochirus quadrangularis, the diet comprised Thalassiosira fluviatilis (55%), Cyclotella kuatzingiana (20%), sediment (15%), and detritus (10%).
... Los pepinos de mar también se cultivan, principalmente en países asiáticos, como una alternativa a la sobrepesca que ha agotado poblaciones de especies comerciales; y actualmente existe un interés creciente en esa actividad en otros países, incluyendo Colombia, enfocado a las especies del Caribe (Lovatelli et al. 2004, Zacarías-Soto et al. 2013, Puentes et al. 2014, Gómez-León et al. 2015. Sin embargo, en Ecuador y México, I. fuscus es una de las especies de mayor interés para cultivo (Fajardo-León et al. 1995, Herrero-Pérezrul et al. 1999, Hamel et al. 2003, Mercier et al. 2004, Mercier et al. 2007). ...
Este libro presenta los resultados de la segunda evaluación del riesgo de extinción de invertebrados marinos en Colombia, un esfuerzo coordinado por INVEMAR y MINAMBIENTE, que involucró a 53 investigadores nacionales y contó con la asesoría del personal de la UICN.
... Los pepinos de mar también se cultivan, principalmente en países asiáticos, como una alternativa a la sobrepesca que ha agotado poblaciones de especies comerciales; y actualmente existe un interés creciente en esa actividad en otros países, incluyendo Colombia, enfocado a las especies del Caribe (Lovatelli et al. 2004, Zacarías-Soto et al. 2013, Puentes et al. 2014, Gómez-León et al. 2015. Sin embargo, en Ecuador y México, I. fuscus es una de las especies de mayor interés para cultivo (Fajardo-León et al. 1995, Herrero-Pérezrul et al. 1999, Hamel et al. 2003, Mercier et al. 2004, Mercier et al. 2007). ...
Anteriormente aceptada con el nombre Farfantepenaeus notialis, pero a partir del trabajo de Ma et al. (2011) quedó clara la monofilia del género Penaeus sensu lato, que incluye los géneros Penaeus, Fenneropenaeus, Litopenaeus y Farfantepenaeus.
... Stichopus horrens belongs to the family Stichopodidae. Among stichopodids, successful mass production has been reported in Apostichopus japonicus and Isostichopus fuscus (Mercier et al. 2005;Mercier and Hamel 2013). Culture methods for A. japonicus are widely studied, which includes the development of hatchery production techniques (Li et al. 2010a(Li et al. , 2010b and nursery/grow-out culture systems in earthen ponds (Ren et al. 2012) and bottom cages (Yu et al. 2012(Yu et al. , 2014. ...
The development of an efficient and low-cost feed is important to reduce the production and maintenance costs of microalgae. In this study, two experiments were conducted to evaluate the feasibility of using Sargassum sp. juice (SARG) to boost the growth and survival of post-settled Stichopus cf. horrens juveniles. Experiment 1 tested whether SARG improves growth compared with live microalgae diets, Chaetoceros calcitrans (Cc), combined Cc and Navicula ramosissima (Nr), and an unfed treatment. Experiment 2 determined the best SARG concentration—high feeding regime (HFR; 1 mL ind⁻¹), medium (MFR; 0.5 mL ind⁻¹), or low (LFR; 0.25 ml ind⁻¹), relative to live microalgae Chaetoceros muelleri (CM). Juveniles in both experiments were reared for 30 days. In Experiment 1, the average daily growth rate (DGRL) of juveniles in SARG (0.04 ± 0.01 cm d⁻¹) was the highest although not significantly different from Cc and Cc + Nr, but was significantly higher than the control. In Experiment 2, DGRL at day 14 in HFR (− 0.02 ± 0.02 cm d⁻¹) was significantly lower than LFR (0.01 ± 0.01 cm d⁻¹) and MFR (0.02 ± 0.02 cm d⁻¹). Survival was higher in all SARG treatments compared with CM, while a significant decrease in feeding activity was observed in HFR by day 30. Results indicate that concentrations of 0.25–0.5 mL SARG per juvenile can boost growth and be an alternate diet for post-settled juveniles during early rearing. However, SARG alone is not sufficient to maintain growth beyond 3 weeks. With SARG feed supplementation and water quality management, the scaling-up of juvenile production of this emergent culture species can be accelerated.
... Isostichopus fuscus (pepino de mar.) una especie dioica, con 1.2% de hermafroditismo y una proporción de sexos de 1:1 (Nuño, 2003;Herrero et al., 1999;Herrero et al., 1998;Herrero, 1994). Su ciclo reproductivo es anual y se encuentra relacionado con las variaciones en la temperatura superficial del mar, coincidiendo el desove con las temperaturas más altas (27°y 28°C) que se presentan en verano (Herrero et al., 1999;Fajardo et al., 1995;Herrero, 1994 (Nuño, 2003;Herrero et al., 1999;Herrero et al., 1998;Fajardo et al., 1995;Herrero, 1994 horas (Hamel et al., 2003;Morgan, 2000;citados en Herrero, 2004), hasta el momento de la metamorfosis, midiendo aproximadamente 1mm (Herrero, 2004); en general, el desarrollo larvario se completa alrededor de 22-27 días llegando a los 3.5cm en 72 días (Hamel et al., 2003) y 8cm en 110 días (Mercier et al., 2004). ...
PLAN DE MANEJO TIPO PARA LA CONSERVACIÓN Y APROVECHAMIENTO SUSTENTABLE DE Isostichopus fuscus (pepino de mar) EN MÉXICO. Actualización 2022
... Our results showed that the strain induced the onset of SKUD in H. atra, and was successfully re-isolated from the infected individuals. Skin Ulceration Disease has been reported in different parts of the world in different species of sea cucumber: Apostichopus japonicus in China (Deng, Sui, Chen, Wang, & Dong, 2005;Ma, Xu, Zhang, Wang, & Chang, 2006a;Wang, Fang, Zhang, & Xu, 2006;Wang, Xu, Zhang, & Sun, 2005), Holothuria scabra in Australia (Morgan et al., 2000), Isostichopus fuscus in Ecuador (Mercier et al., 2004), and Holothuria arguinensis in Portugal (Cánovas et al., 2019). In addition, other species involved in aquaculture development (Holothuria forskali in France and Isostichopus badionotus in Colombia) are susceptible to SKUD (Delroisse et al., 2020). ...
Skin ulceration disease is widespread among aquacultured holothuroids. Herein, we report on the skin ulceration disease of juvenile Holothuria atra reared in the Aquaculture Laboratory of the National Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries in Hurghada, Red Sea, Egypt. The disease caused the death of the animals within 3 days, and the signs included depigmentation of the epidermis, visceral ejection, and autolysis of the body. The dominant bacterial isolate obtained from the individuals with lesions on the skin was labelled as HAT3, and was selected for characterization and disease induction assay. Based on the morphological and biochemical characteristics, and 16s rDNA gene sequence analysis, the isolate HAT3 was identified as a strain of Vibrio alginolyticus and designated as V. alginolyticus strain HAT3. The 16s rDNA gene sequence was deposited in the GenBank under the accession number MW546612. The experimental infection of healthy H. atra with V. alginolyticus strain HAT3 induced the disease with the same signs as the naturally infected H. atra. Our results revealed that V. alginolyticus strain HAT3 was the causative pathogen of skin ulceration disease in reared H. atra.
... The soaring prices of sea cucumbers globally have led to the overexploitation and decline in wild populations of several stichopodids. Moreover, aquaculture production is viewed as a means to address this increasing demand amidst a decline of natural stocks (Hu et al. 2013;Mercier et al. 2004;Yang et al. 2015). ...
Stichopus cf. horrens is an emergent culture species. It is known to be nocturnal and negatively phototactic; hence, determining its behavioral and growth responses to different light regimes is essential in optimizing culture protocols. This study examined the interactive effects of shading and relative food availability on the feeding pattern, absolute growth rates, and survival of juvenile S. cf. horrens. Six-month-old juveniles (4.27 to 19.41 g) were reared in replicate aquaria with three different shading treatments (covered, exposed, and half-covered aquaria) under ambient light conditions for 30 days. Juveniles in the exposed treatment with high microalgal biomass (13.44 ± 4.57 mg/g) had the highest growth rates (0.10 ± 0.05 g/day) but also the highest mortality (50%). In contrast, juveniles in the covered treatment had the lowest growth (−0.07 ± 0.03 g/day) but the highest survival (100%). Growth rates in the half-covered treatment were comparable with the exposed, and survival was higher than in the covered treatment. These indicate a trade-off between growth associated with more food and mortality risks due to light-induced stress. Juveniles in the half-covered treatment showed a significant preference to stay in the shaded portion whenever they were inactive during the day, suggesting avoidance to high light intensities (4726.51 ± 1582.43 Lux). Results of this study suggest that careful calibration of light intensities in nursery systems may help enhance juvenile growth. For indoor systems that may have limited space or surfaces for microalgal growth, cultured benthic diatom can be added to the partially covered tanks to increase the food available for the juveniles.
... With improvements in the culture protocol and less disturbance during the auricularia stage, it is likely that the development rate can be enhanced, as have been shown possible for other species (Renbo & Yuan, 2005). The larval rearing protocol used in this study was based on previously published protocols for sea cucumbers, both temperate and tropical species (e.g., Mercier, Hidalgo, & Hamel, 2005;Renbo & Yuan, 2005;Xiyin et al., 2005Domínguez-Godino et al., 2015Rakaj et al., 2018;Rakaj et al., 2019;). The egg size and the fertilization rates achieved are in line with previously published data for P. tremulus (Holland, 1981;Rustad, 1940). ...
The red sea cucumber, Parastichopus tremulus, a cold water species with commercial potential, has recently attracted attention for wild harvest as well as for potential use in integrated multi‐trophic aquaculture in Scandinavian countries. Overharvesting has put natural stocks of sea cucumbers at risk in several countries. Our goal was to develop a rearing protocol for P. tremulus to enable sustainable production of this species. This study presents results from spawning and larval rearing conducted in both Norway (NO) and Sweden (SWE) during May–August 2019. We describe spawning induction and behavior, fertilization success, embryonic and auricularia larval development rate for this species under laboratory conditions. The larvae were fed a mixture of three species of live microalgae (SWE) and algal paste (NO). Larval development rate and survival were monitored at four different temperatures (7, 10, 13, and 16°C). Results showed faster development with increasing temperature. Daily food consumption rate was highest at the highest temperature. The combined effects of temperature and food availability on survival were investigated for the same four temperatures and three different feed concentrations. Only food availability affected the mortality rate, with the highest mortality in the low feeding regime of 1,000–2,000 cells ml−1 day−1.
... Several species of stichopodid sea cucumbers are considered valuable resources due to their tissue repair properties (Bordbar et al., 2011;Fredalina et al., 1999;Subramaniam et al., 2013;Zohdi et al., 2011) and other potential pharmaceutical products (Purcell et al., 2014;Ridzwan et al., 2003). The culture of these species is seen as a plausible means to help reduce exploitation and restore natural populations (Gutiérrez-García, 1999;Mercier et al., 2005Mercier et al., , 2012Zacarías-Soto et al., 2013). Stichopus horrens, also referred to as warty sea cucumber (Conand et al., 2013), is a high-value sea cucumber in the western and Central Pacific Purcell et al., 2012;Uthicke et al., 2010). ...
Behavioral responses to light of early life stages provide insights on the development of photosensitivity in nocturnal species such as Stichopus cf. horrens. In this study, the onset of nocturnal feeding behavior, growth, and survival during early juvenile development (0.56 ± 0.16 cm; 47 days post-settlement) of the species were investigated for 30 days, in the presence (S) or absence (W) of artificial shelters and under three light regimes: constant light (24 L), constant dark (24D), and a 12 -h light, 12 -h dark period (12 L:12D). Juveniles in all treatments fed initially during daytime hours but eventually exhibited a shift to nocturnal feeding by day 11. This behavioral shift to nocturnality was delayed among individuals under constant dark conditions. Continuous light exposure without shelter resulted in low juvenile survival and mass mortality in some replicates of the treatment. In contrast, growth and survival were highest for juveniles in constant dark. This study showed the endogenous control of feeding in this species. It also demonstrated that growth increases significantly when early juveniles are reared with shelters or in constant dark. Optimizing the light regime and type of shelter can improve food accessibility and juvenile growth without hindering the development of photosensitivity in early juveniles. Further studies are needed to enhance the nursery culture of this species.
... Some tropical Indian and Western Pacific countries are developing aquaculture for Holothuria scabra (Indonesia see Tuwo 2004; India see James 2004; the Solomon see Battaglene 1999; Madagascar see Rasolonofirina et al. 2004. In Ecuador, Isostichopus fuscus is the targeted species ( Mercier et al. 2004). ...
