Sea cucumber apostichopus japonicus, a member of Echinodermata, Holothuroidea, is an epibenthile species inhabiting the temperate zone along Asian coasts. It is of great economic significance for coastal provinces in China. However, the slow growth, frequent occurrence of diseases and low survival rate of apostichopus japonicus hinder the sustainable development of this industry.
In order to better realize the popularization and industrialization of fine apostichopus japonicus juveniles, the Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (IOCAS) and Shandong Oriental Ocean Sci-Tech Co. jointly carried out a research on seed selection and breeding technology of apostichopus japonicus. Progress was made recently.
For seed selection, the research team adopted a high-temperature selection formula, as apostichopus japonicus tends to aestivate when water temperature rises over 20 ℃ to 24.5 ℃, resulting in weight loss. Through this formula, they cultured 5,000,000 high-quality seeds of apostichopus japonicus that show distinct advantages of fast growth and thermal resistance.
For breeding technology, the research team used the ample sea grasses as substrate in seed-rearing of apostichopus japonicus. They also set up a purse net facility that allows a maximum rearing density of 20 individuals/ m2 for apostichopus japonicus juveniles. It has been tested that the technology promotes a higher survival rate and heavier weight for the juveniles.
