Effect of Enriched Substrate on the Growth of the Sea Cucumber Holothuria arguinensis Koehler and Vaney, 1906 Juveniles

The sea cucumber Holothuria arguinensis (Koehler and Vaney, 1906) presents an increasing commercial value in Asian markets its exportation depends exclusively on wild stock harvesting. Production through aquaculture has been acknowledged as alternative to supply demand reduce pressure natural stocks, but there are still bottlenecks overcome, such low growth rate survival. This study focuses the evaluation of juveniles H. substrate enrichment—direct mixing Sargassum vulgare with sediment—in recirculating systems (RAS), for 4 months, a baseline diet Saccorhiza polyschides. Compared control (no enrichment), cucumbers fed enriched sediment showed highest specific (SGR), (GR) lowest size heterogeneity. results obtained this favorable when presence vulgare, representing important step towards viability large-scale rearing Europe.