Artificial spawning, hatchery and culture of the tropical sea cucumber (Holothuria leucospilota) using non-living food

Artificial breeding and farming of sea cucumber is considered as a sustainable way to meet market demand and minimize the pressure on wild populations. This study reports a method for large-scale artificial spawning, hatchery and culture of the tropical sea cucumber (Holothuria leucospilota). Spawning induction was performed by constant stimulation and dry shock. Both methods could obtain active and healthy fertilized eggs, but constant stimulation could get a greater oviposition amount of H. leucospilota. Among the six tested non-living food, the Spirulina platensis meal contains the highest contents of crude protein and total amino acids, and the Chlorella pyrenoidosa powder contains most abundant types of fatty acid. However, only the C. pyrenoidosa powder fed larvae could successfully develop to doliolaria stage. H. leucospilota fed C. pyrenoidosa powder had similar (P > 0.05) growth rate and survival rate but higher (P < 0.05) metamorphosis rate than that fed living Chaetoceros muelleri. The contents of crude protein and total amino acids of Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast meal between that of C. muelleri and C. pyrenoidosa powder, but it failed to induce larval metamorphosis. The best diet scheme was mixing C. pyrenoidosa powder, S. cerevisiae yeast powder and sea mud followed by the ratio of 2:1:2 with the installment feeding mode, which reached the highest development rate of H. leucospilota. In summary, a simple and successful technology for large-scale artificial reproduction of H. leucospilota is set up in this study, which not only provide an excellent candidate for aquaculture in tropical regions, but also conducive to recover and reconstruct the wild population of sea cucumber.