Growth of juvenile red abalone (Haliotis rufescens) co-cultivated with two densities of warty sea cucumber (Apostichopus parvimensis)

Co-culture of abalone and sea cucumber can result in benefits. This study investigated for 131 days the growth of juvenile red abalone (Haliotis rufescens) co-cultured with two densities of warty sea cucumbers (Apostichopus parvimensis). The initial mean (+/- SE) shell length of 1080 red abalone was 26.74 +/- 1.04 mm, with a wet weight of 5.64 +/- 0.12 g. The average weight of nine sea cucumbers was 175.26 +/- 2.22 g. One experimental treatment had low density (LD) of sea cucumbers with a ratio of 1 gram of abalone to 0.25 grams of sea cucumber. The other, high density (HD) with a ratio of 1 gram of abalone to 0.50 grams of sea cucumber and a control treatment without sea cucumbers. There were no differences in abalone growth between treatments and the control; the only differences were among HD and LD. Abalone from the HD treatment had 19.40% higher growth than the control and 20.94% than the LD. Overall, the sea cucumbers in both treatments showed a decrease in body weight, 17.15% in the HD and 6.13% in the LD. We hope our results encourage further studies for developing multitrophic aquaculture in the Northeastern Pacific.