Use of centrifuged and preserved microalgae for feeding juvenile Manila clam (Tapes philippinarum): effects on growth and fatty acid composition

The objective of the present study was to assess the nutritional value of three diets containing commercial preserved microalgae pastes and the relation of their biochemical composition to the growth rate and fatty acids profile of Tapes philippinarum juveniles. The feeding period was 6 weeks. At a daily ratio of 1% dry weight live weight of the clams–1, the trispecific diet with 40 % of I. galbana, 20 % of T. suecica and 40 % of C. muelleri supported greater growth of animals than either a mixture of 80 % of I. galbana and 20 % T. suecica or I. galbana alone (P 0.05). Even the fatty acid profile was significantly modified depending on the composition of the diets. In particular a decrease of EPA was observed in clams with the lowest growth rate.