Abstract

This study was a comparative analysis of feeding dynamic of 1, 10 and 18 daysold Strombus gigas veliger larvae fed five different algae diets: T.suecica, T. tetrathele, e keslleri, Chlorella sp. y C. cerastoporum. Feeding dynamic was studied by direct observation of ingestion and digestion process with epifluorescences microscopy. The evolution of ingestion and digestion process was observed each hour during 8 hours, and 24 hours after feeding supply. Density was 100 larvae?1-1 and temperature was kept at 28°C. All observations were done with a live larvae. To compare feeding behavior between the different algae diets and larval age, two indices were used: absolute ingestion index (A.I.I.) and absolute digestion index (ADJ.). Aqualitative analysis of the stomach filling was done to each larval stage according to the different diets used.\For the three larval ages, ingestibility and digestibility were larger in larvae fed T. suecica y T. letrathele. It was not observed both ingestion and digestion on one day-old larvae fed Chlorella sp. y E. cerastoporum. Ten days-old larvae fed these diets showed an A.I.I. of 25% and A.D.I. of cero, At 18 days-old C.cerastoporum was ingested and digested; however the A.I.I. was 65% and the A.D.I. 40%. According to these results, it is confirmed the use of T. suecica as a suitable diet to rear S. gigas larvae, and it is suggested T. tetrathele as a potential feeding. It is not recommended the used of E. cerasloporum y Chlorella sp. mainly in the first stages of larval development.

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