The effects of different ratios of mixed feeding of Scenedesmus dimorphus to Cyclotella sp. on the growth performance, pearl production ability, and biochemical components of the new shell tissue of Hyriopsis cumingii.

In order to screen out the feeding ratio of high‐quality algae strains in Hyriopsis cumingii, this experiment investigated the effects of different ratio of mixed feeding of two algae strains (Scenedesmus dimorphus and Cyclotella sp.) on the growth, bead production performance, trace elements, and amino acid composition of the newborn shell of H. cumingii. The results showed that the mixed feeding of two types of microalgae with different densities had significant effects on the growth performance, bead production quality, trace elements, and amino acid composition of the newly formed shell of H. cumingii (p < 0.05); the best body weight gain rate and shell growth rate were obtained by feeding S. dimorphus (30 × 105 cell/mL) and Cyclopella sp.(8 × 105 cell/mL); the pearl weight gain rate, amino acid ratio, Ca2+ and Mn2+ content were best when feeding Cyclotella sp. (16 × 105 cell/mL), but there was no significant difference compared with S. dimorphus (30 × 105 cell/mL) and Cyclopella sp.(8 × 105 cell/mL). In summary, the optimal feeding amount for the intensive breeding process of H. cumingii is S. dimorphus (30 × 105 cell/mL) and Cyclopella sp. (8 × 105 cell/mL). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]