Citation
Lim, Saoi May
(2018)
Effects of light, temperature and feeding on growth of artificially propagated corals Dipsastraea pallida (DANA, 1846) and Dipsastraea speciosa (DANA, 1846).
Masters thesis, Universiti Putra Malaysia.
Abstract
This study examines the parameters that influence the growth of turbid water
coral; Dipsastraea pallida and Dipsastraea speciosa from Tanjung Tuan, Port
Dickson including variances in light intensity, temperature and feeding, to
generate turbid water coral aquaculture protocol for conservation purposes.
Dipsastraea pallida and D. speciosa were subjected to six different light
treatments under LED and fluorescent lights, showed better growth under light
intensity at 60 μmol m-2 s-1. At this light intensity, D. pallida recorded highest
specific growth rate (SGR), which were 1.66 ± 0.15 mg week-1 under LED and
1.65 ± 0.18 mg week-1 under fluorescent lights, while Dipsastraea speciosa
reached 1.65 ± 0.16 mg week-1 (LED) and 1.63 ± 0.16 mg week-1 (fluorescent)
respectively. Coral specimens were tested for thermal tolerance with increasing
temperature up to bleaching point. Results showed Dipsastraea pallida and D.
speciosa can withstand temperature up to 34 °C for five days continuously and
bleached once exposed to 35 °C and do not recover from bleaching. Artemia
sp. nauplii were fed to D. pallida and D. speciosa to examine the optimal
feeding time and feeding rate. Both species presented diurnal feeding behavior
with highest feeding rate in the afternoon from 1200h to 1400h, with preferable
feeding density of Artemia sp. nauplii at 5 ind mL-1 with average 107.20 ± 2.47
ind-1 polyp-1 h-1 (D. pallida) and 113.60 ± 3.59 ind-1 polyp-1 h-1 (D. speciosa).
Present study concludes that D. pallida and D. speciosa from Tanjung Tuan
exhibit diurnal feeding behavior. Result showed evident showed that these two
species have adapted to Tanjung Tuan low light water conditions with better
growth performance at light intensity 60 μmol m-2 s-1. These two species from
the intertidal zone have higher heat tolerance with bleaching point at 35 °C.
Download File
Additional Metadata
Actions (login required)
![View Item View Item](/style/images/action_view.png) |
View Item |