Preferensi Teripang Pasir Holothuria scabra Terhadap Pakan Berbahan Dasar Makroalga

The Preference of The Sandfish Holothuria scabra on Macroalgae-Based Feed. The sandfish, Holothuria scabra, is one ofthe marine species that has the potential to be developed as a source of high-value functional food. However, the growth of sandfish is still constrained by the availability of suitable feed. This study aimed to determine the level of preference of sea cucumbers for artificial feed made from macroalgae. This study used six main ingredients: control (sea-sand),  FF-1 (commercial shrimp feed), FF-2 (Padina sp.), FF-3 (Ulva sp.), FF-4 (Sargassum sp.), FF-5 (combination). A completely randomized design with three replications was implemented. Nutritional values of feed and the sandfish body, feed consumption, specific growth rate (SGR), survival, and water quality were investigated. The results revealed that all treatments had a 100 percent survival rate, even though the SGR for all treatmentswere negative. Artificial feed made from Padina sp. (FF-2) had the highest average feed consumption of 0.51 gram/day. This value was significantly greater than the other treatments (p<0.05). The SGR reached a positive value in the last week of the maintenance phase. The nutritional quality of the sandfish body generally decreased compared to the initial rearing condition. On the other hand, water quality was optimal for sandfish growth throughout the experiment.It can be concluded that the feed derived from Padina sp. is preferable for Holothuria scabra and has the potential to be further developed.