Juvenile greenlip abalone, Haliotis laevigata Donovan (mean whole weight, 5.61 g) were grown for 2-3 mo in bioassay tanks. Specific growth rate (SGR), measured on a whole-weight (p < 0.05) or shell length (p < 0.01) basis, was significantly affected by nitrite (NaNO 2). Modeling of the whole weight indicated relatively uniform growth depression (average SGR weight of 67.2% relative to the control, 0.024 mg of NO 2-N L -1), regardless of concentration in the range of 0.56-7.80 mg of NO 2-N L -1. This pattern of growth depression, which is independent of nitrite concentration once growth is reduced relative to controls, has been recorded by other researchers for penaeid shrimp and freshwater crayfish. SGR data for shell length exhibited a similar pattern, except that much more severe growth depression (average SGR length of 17.7% relative to the control) was recorded for the highest concentration (7.80 mg NO 2-N L -1). Compared with several aquatic species studied by other authors, greenlip abalone are sensitive to nitrite on a growth basis. Oxygen consumption declined sharply with increasing nitrite concentration (y = 82.452.e(-0.154-x); range, 0.025-7.72 mg of NO 2-N L -1). However, neither food consumption (as a percentage of initial biomass, corrected for mortality) nor survival was significantly affected by nitrite concentration (p > 0.05).

Item Type:	Refereed Article
Research Division:	Agricultural, Veterinary and Food Sciences
Research Group:	Fisheries sciences
Research Field:	Aquaculture
Objective Division:	Animal Production and Animal Primary Products
Objective Group:	Fisheries - aquaculture
Objective Field:	Fisheries - aquaculture not elsewhere classified
UTAS Author:	Harris, J (Dr James Harris)
UTAS Author:	Maguire, GB (Dr Greg Maguire)
UTAS Author:	Edwards, SJ (Dr Steve Edwards)
UTAS Author:	Hindrum, SM (Mr Stephen Marcus Hindrum)
ID Code:	13656
Year Published:	1997
Web of Science® Times Cited:	21
Deposited By:	TAFI - Aquaculture
Deposited On:	1998-08-01
Last Modified:	2011-08-15
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