Aquaculture Sciences

Aquaculture Sciences

Evaluation of the seasonal changes of dietary indices and composition of the gut content of the sea cucumberHolothuria leucospilota collected from Kish Island

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Simin Najafshad
Parisa Nejatkhah Manavi
Mahnaz Sadat Sadeghi
Mozhgan Emtyazjoo
Department of Marine Biology, North Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.
Abstract
This study aimed to investigate the gut contents of the sea cucumber H. leucospilota in the recreational pier area of Kish Island, southern Iran. Sampling was conducted randomly at depths of 5 to 10 meters from the recreational pier station in both the summer and winter of 2019. Five samples were collected per season by divers. Sea cucumbers were stored at -20°C in aluminium foil. Additionally, environmental parameters such as water temperature, salinity, and pH were measured using a multimeter. Results showed that water temperature was significantly different (P<0.05) between summer (27.44°C) and winter (15.44°C). Salinity was higher in winter than in summer. After examining the gut content of the collected specimens, no empty intestines were observed in winter, while 45% of intestines were empty in summer. Feeding intensity was higher in winter (0.74±0.08) compared to summer. Analysis of gut contents revealed that diatoms, blue-green algae, foraminifera, gastropods, bivalves, nematodes, and amphipods were among the dominant organisms found in the digestive tracts of this sea cucumber species. In summer, diatoms comprised 44.8%, blue-green algae 31.4%, foraminifera 13.6%, gastropods 5.2%, bivalves 4.6%, nematodes 0.2%, and amphipods 0.2% of the gut contents. In winter, these percentages were 52.4%, 26.6%, 12%, 4.6%, 3.6%, 0.4%, and 0.4%, respectively. While significant differences were observed in the percentages of diatoms, blue-green algae, foraminifera, gastropods, and bivalves between the two seasons, no significant difference was found in the percentages of nematodes and amphipods. This study suggests that diatoms and blue-green algae are key components of the diet of H. leucospilota in the southern waters of Iran. Therefore, the use of these organisms for the cultivation of this sea cucumber species in this region is recommended.
Keywords
Sea cucumber
Kish Island
Gut content
Nutritional indicators
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Aquaculture Sciences
Volume 12, Issue 2
November 2024
Pages 68-77