Growth performance, digestive and immune enzyme activities, and the environmental effects of the ivory shell, Babylonia areolata (Link 1807) in integrated Multi‐Trophic aquaculture systems

This study was conducted to evaluate the growth performance and the digestive and immune enzyme activities of the ivory shell (Babylonia areolata, Link 1807) in an integrated multi-trophic aquaculture (IMTA) system. The impact of environmental factors on the ivory shell was also investigated. The ivory shell B. areolata, sea cucumber Holothuria leucospilota and seaweed Gracilaria tenuistipitata comprised the IMTA group in this study, while ivory shell in monoculture was used as the control group. After 150 days rearing experiment, a higher survival rate, farming yield, and feed efficiency was found in the IMTA ponds. Seaweed and sea cucumber have a good purification effect on ammonia nitrogen, nitrite nitrogen in water and total nitrogen, phosphorus and organic carbon in the sediment. In addition, Vibrio as a conditional pathogen showed a significant decrease in sediment and in ivory shell intestines from the IMTA group. The digestive and immune enzyme activities of ivory shell in the IMTA group were higher than in the control group, suggesting the IMTA system may promote digestive and immunity capabilities of ivory shell. Results from the present study suggest that the IMTA system is an important method to develop the sustainable aquaculture of the ivory shell industry by using G. tenuistipitata and H. leucospilota in an integrated system. By applying such a method, the aquaculture environment can be improved, and the digestion and immunity of ivory shell can be enhanced, leading to the healthy growth of the ivory shell.