Fish growth and health aspects of sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) reared in standard vs. high rate algal pond recirculation systems

¹ Laboratory of Aquaculture, Institute of Oceanography & Fisheries, POB 500, 21000 Split, Croatia
² Faculty of Science, University of Split, Teslina 12, 21000 Split, Croatia
³ IFREMER, Station de Palavas, chemin de Maguelone, 34250 Palavas les Flots, France

^a Corresponding author: mladineo@izor.hr

Received: 13 October 2010
Accepted: 12 March 2010

Abstract

Recirculation aquaculture system (RAS) is the type of land-based aquaculture production that interferes the least with the environment, particularly due to low effluent volume and overall water requirement. Water reuse, sometimes limited by the accumulation of waste products excreted by fish, can be improved by incorporating another biotechnical component in the form of high rate algal pond (RAS+HRAP), thus adding to the economy and self sustainability of the system. Our goal was to evaluate whether rearing fish for 1 year in a RAS or RAS+HRAP led to differences in fish production and health, by assessing: (1) fish growth; (2) impact on the morphological structure of sea bass target tissues (liver, kidney, and spleen); (3) susceptibility to monogenean parasites; (4) resistance to pathogen challenge with Listonella anguillarum; and (5) total blood protein. Over the one-year experimental period, sea bass showed no statistical differences in any parameter evaluated, suggesting that there was a satisfactory purification rate in the RAS+HRAP system.