Feeding Stimulants and Feeding Preference of Haliotis discus Reeve (Jeju Island) to Marine Algae

Haliotis discus, a useful abalone of herbivorous gastropod, shows feeding preference to marine algae depending upon their growth stage and recognition of taste. This study was carried out to investigate this abalone's algal preferences and the presence of feeding stimulants. In single-choice experiments the small (S) group generally preferred Ulva pertusa (Chlorophyta), whereas the medium (M) and large (L) group preferred both Laminaria japonica (Phaeophyta) and Undaria pinnatifida (Phaeophyta). In multi-choice experiments using 4 algal species of L. japonica, U. pertusa, U. pinnatifida and Ecklonia cava (Phaeophyta), the results were same as in the single-choice experiments; the S group preferred U. pertusa the most, while the M and L group preferred both U. pinnatifida and L. japonica. However E. cava was not preferred by any groups. In order to examine the presence of feeding stimulant, chemical compounds from algae used as feed were isolated and identified. The abalone responded to water soluble matters of L. japonica, U. pinnatifida and U. pertusa, but those of E. cava and Sargassum sagamianum (Phaeophyta) were not attractive to them. In feeding stimulant experiments using fat soluble matters, the S group preferred the fat soluble matter of U. pertusa the most, while the M group and the L group preferred those of U. pertusa and U. pinnatifida, and those of L. japonica, respectively. However the fat soluble matter of S. sagamianum was not attractive to the abalone. The results of feeding stimulant experiments were same as those of single-choice or multi-choice experiments, which showed that compound lipids in fat soluble matter might act as feeding-stimulant.

제주도산 까막전복의 해조류 섭식선호도와 섭식자극물질