Effects of larval diet and metamorphosis cue on survival and growth of sea urchin post-larvae ( Paracentrotus lividus ; Lamarck, 1816)

2016

Abstract In this study, we present the results of two experiments; in the first one we evaluated the effects of four larval dietary treatments on the survival and growth of the sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus , larvae and post-larvae. In the second experiment we have measured the effects of two different settlement substrates, combined with the presence of conspecifics, on metamorphosis, survival and growth of post-larvae. The microalgae dietary treatments consisted in: Dunaliella tertiolecta (Duna); 50% mixture of Isochrysis galbana and D. tertiolecta (ID); 50% mixture of Chaetoceros gracilis and D. tertiolecta (CD); 33% mixture of I. galbana , C. gracilis and D. tertiolecta (ICD). Althou…