Effect of four diets based on three microalgae on the growth performance and quality of Mediterranean mussel flesh, Mytilus galloprovincialis

The objective of this study was to assess the biologic impact of four diets based on three species of microalgae on the Mediterranean mussels Mytilus galloprovincialis. For this purpose, flesh weight, linear growth, survival rate and the biochemical composition of mussel flesh have been evaluated. Mussels fed with a mixture of the three species; Nannochloropsis sp., Dunaliella sp., and Phaeodactylum sp., exhibited the highest lipid level (7.66%). This suggests that mixing several species in the same diet favors lipid production. Protein level was significantly higher in mussels fed with Dunaliella sp. (28.92%) compared to Phaeodactylum sp (24.52%), Nannochloropsis sp. (22.94%) and a combination of the three species (26.07%). Wet weight gain was significantly higher in mussels fed with Dunaliella sp. (7.76 g) compared to mussels fed with the mixture of the three species (6.87 g). However, mussel shell length was not different among the four groups, and ranged between 41.7 mm and 42.3 mm. In conclusion, the data from this study suggest that a diet based on Dunaliella sp. can efficiently cover the protein requirements of the Mediterranean mussel, Mytilus galloprovincialis during the growth cycle.