Diet trials on tehuelche scallop Aequipecten tehuelchus (d'Orb) larvae

Laboratory spawned one week old veliger larvae of the tehuelche scallop, Aequipecten tehuelchus (D'Orb., 1846), were reared to pedivelger stage under three different dietary regimes in order to determine the best algal combination under standard hatchery conditions. Veligers were cultured at mean densities of 2.7 larvae/ml. Larval growth and survival were assessed on larvae fed the following dietary treatments: (1) Isochrysis galbana (T-Iso)+ Chaetoceros calcitrans, (2) Pavlova lutheri + C calcitrans, and (3) P. lutheri + I. galbana T-Iso + Ch. calcitrans. The highest growth rates were detected on larvae fed diets including P. lutheri.