Biochemical composition and energy content of six species of phytoplankton used in mariculture of bivalves

Diatoms Thalassiosira pseudonana (Hustedt) Hasle and Heimdal, Chaetoceros calcitrans (Paulsen) Takano and Chaetoceros sp. (Aquaculture Research Corporation), and phytoflagellates Isochrysis galbana Parke, Isochrysis aff. galbana Green (T-Iso) and Tetraselmis suecica (Kylin) Butcher were harvested at exponential and stationary phases of growth and biochemical compositions determined. Moisture content declined in all species at the stationary phase of growth. The siliceous nature of the diatom reduced inherent organic content relative to that of the flagellate. Total pigments were more concentrated in the stationary phases of all species except Tetraselmis. Inclusion of cellular lipid and protein was highest in species of Isochrysis with the carbohydrate constituents of the phytoflagellates presenting a complex mixture of glucose, galactose, mannose, xylose, arabinose, ribose, fucose, and rhamnose. Content of carbohydrates was generally higher in diatoms than phytoflagellates, with glucose the dominant sugar originating from a reserve glucan considered digestible by bivalves. Caloric content of lipid, carbohydrate and protein in phytoplankton allowed for ranking as sources of energy in the following decreasing order: Isochrysis aff. galbana (T-Iso), Isochrysis galbana, Chaetoceros calcitrans, Tetraselmis suecica, Thalassiosira pseudonana, and Chaetoceros sp. (ARC), with all but Thalassiosira exhibiting higher energy levels in the stationary cells.