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Effect of delayed first feeding on larval performance of the spider crab Maja brachydactyla assessed by digestive enzyme activities and biometric parameters

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Abstract

The effect of food deprivation on larval performance of the spider crab Maja brachydactyla was studied in terms of survival, moulting capacity, size, weight and enzymatic activities. Five feeding treatments that differed in the initial age of first feeding larvae (fed from hatching, 2, 4 and 6 days post-hatching and unfed) were tested for 20 days. Newly hatched larvae kept without food supply lasted for 10 days and did not moult; with 50% survival observed at 6 days post-hatching. Larvae (zoea I stage) were only able to tolerate 2 days of food deprivation after the onset of exogenous feeding without their performance being compromised. Multivariate analyses suggest that digestive enzyme activities may be good indicators of the nutritional condition of larvae.

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Acknowledgments

GR, MA and EG thank the financial support provided by the Ministry of Science and Education (Programa Ramón y Cajal—MEC and INIA fellowship). Funding was partially provided to GR by the Spanish Ministries of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (Jacumar) and Education and Science (RTA2005-00022-00-00). The authors would like to thank O. Bellot, N. Gras, G. Macià, and M. Monllaó for their help as hatchery and laboratory technicians at IRTA, Sant Carles de la Ràpita, and to A. Barros for her help during enzyme analysis at the University of Almería.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Unitat Operativa de Cultius Experimentals, IRTA, Carretera del Poblenou km 5.5, 43540, Sant Carles de la Ràpita, Tarragona, Spain

    Guiomar Rotllant, Mireia Andrés, Alicia Estévez & Enric Gisbert

  2. Department of Biología Aplicada, Escuela Politécnica Superior, Edificio CITE II-B, Universidad de Almería, Campus Universitario de la Cañada, 04120, Almería, Spain

    Francisco Javier Moyano & Manuel Díaz

Authors
  1. Guiomar Rotllant
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  2. Francisco Javier Moyano
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  3. Mireia Andrés
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  4. Alicia Estévez
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  5. Manuel Díaz
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  6. Enric Gisbert
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Correspondence to Guiomar Rotllant.

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Communicated by S. A. Poulet.

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Rotllant, G., Moyano, F.J., Andrés, M. et al. Effect of delayed first feeding on larval performance of the spider crab Maja brachydactyla assessed by digestive enzyme activities and biometric parameters. Mar Biol 157, 2215–2227 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-010-1487-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-010-1487-4

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