Today, more than 40 different species of micro-algae, isolated in different parts of the world, are cultured as pure strains in intensive systems. Table 2.1. lists the eight major classes and 32 genera of cultured algae currently used to feed different groups of commercially important aquatic organisms. The list includes species of diatoms, flagellated and chlorococcalean green algae, and filamentous blue-green algae, ranging in size from a few micrometer to more than 100 µm. The most frequently used species in commercial mariculture operations are the diatoms Skeletonema costatum, Thalassiosira pseudonana, Chaetoceros gracilis, C. calcitrans, the flagellates Isochrysis galbana, Tetraselmis suecica, Monochrysis lutheri and the chlorococcalean Chlorella spp. (Fig. 2.2.).
Figure 2.2. Some types of marine algae used as food in aquaculture (a) Tetraselmis spp. (b) Dunaliella spp. (c) Chaetoceros spp. (Laing, 1991).
Table 2.1. Major classes and genera of micro-algae cultured in aquaculture (modified from De Pauw and Persoone, 1988).
|
Class |
Genus |
Examples of application |
|
Bacillariophyceae |
Skeletonema |
PL, BL, BP |
|
Thalassiosira |
PL, BL, BP |
|
|
Phaeodactylum |
PL, BL, BP, ML, BS |
|
|
Chaetoceros |
PL, BL, BP, BS |
|
|
Cylindrotheca |
PL |
|
|
Bellerochea |
BP |
|
|
Actinocyclus |
BP |
|
|
Nitzchia |
BS |
|
|
Cyclotella |
BS |
|
|
Haptophyceae |
Isochrysis |
PL, BL, BP, ML, BS |
|
Pseudoisochrysis |
BL, BP, ML |
|
|
Dicrateria |
BP |
|
|
Chrysophyceae |
Monochrysis (Pavlova) |
BL, BP, BS, MR |
|
Prasinophyceae |
Tetraselmis (Platymonas) |
PL, BL, BP, AL, BS, MR |
|
Pyramimonas |
BL, BP |
|
|
Micromonas |
BP |
|
|
Cryptophyceae |
Chroomonas |
BP |
|
Cryptomonas |
BP |
|
|
Rhodomonas |
BL, BP |
|
|
Cryptophyceae |
Chlamydomonas Chlorococcum |
BL, BP, FZ, MR, BS BP |
|
Xanthophyceae |
Olisthodiscus |
BP |
|
Chlorophyceae |
Carteria |
BP |
|
Dunaliella |
BP, BS, MR |
|
|
Cyanophyceae |
Spirulina |
PL, BP, BS, MR |
PL, penaeid shrimp larvae;
BL, bivalve mollusc larvae;
ML, freshwater prawn larvae;
BP, bivalve mollusc postlarvae;
AL, abalone larvae;
MR, marine rotifers (Brachionus);
BS, brine shrimp (Artemia);
SC, saltwater copepods;
FZ, freshwater zooplankton
