Effects of dietary administration of two Patagonian probiotics on the zoeae I from the swimming crab Ovalipes trimaculatus

In this study, we analyzed the effects of supplying two alternative Patagonian-autochthonous probiotic strains of Bacillus sp. and Lactococcus sp. or no probiotic at all (control treatment) on the survival, stage duration, molting success to the next larval instar, and speed of vertical displacement of the zoeae I of the southern surf crab Ovalipes trimaculatus , also considering two alternative methods for their administration: (i) direct inoculation into the rearing seawater or (ii) bio-encapsulation in Artemia persimilis nauplii. Both probiotic strains were effectively bio-encapsulated by the nauplii at high CFU x naupli −1 . Probiotic inoculation in the rearing seawater improved the performance of the zoeae over the control treatment and also outperformed bio-encapsulation. Bio-encapsulation in Artemia nauplii resulted in lower survival and molting success to zoeae II compared to the control treatment. No significant differences were observed between the mean effects of either one of the two probiotics. Overall, our results show that the direct inoculation of any of both probiotics into rearing seawater improves the larval culture of the portunid crab.