Study of diet composition in sea cucumber intestines in Socah Waters, Bangkalan Regency

¹ Study Program of Aquatic Resources Management, Department of Marine and Fisheries, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Trunojoyo Madura, Bangkalan, Indonesia
² Study Program of Aquaculture Technology, Kupang State Agricultural Polytechnic, Kupang, Indonesia

^* Corresponding author: rizka.putri@trunojoyo.ac.id

Abstract

Sea cucumbers, which belong to the Phylum Echinodermata, possess significant potential for cultivation. However, these invertebrates require further investigation concerning various aspects of their cultivation, including their feeding habits and diet composition. Research on the dietary requirements of sea cucumbers aims to identify their primary and supplementary food sources, which can serve as references for the provision of natural feed in future sea cucumber farming efforts. Data collection was conducted through random sampling in the Socah Waters, Bangkalan Regency. Observations of the food type found in the intestines of sea cucumbers revealed the presence of plankton, sediment, and detritus. The plankton species identified in the intestines include Cyclotella kuatzingiana, Chaetoceros densus, and Thalassiosira fluviatilis. The diet composition varied among the three sea cucumber species studied: Paracaudina australis, Phyllophorus sp., and Colochirus quadrangularis. In Paracaudina australis, the food composition consists of Cyclotella kuatzingiana (55%), Thalassiosira fluviatilis (30%), sediment (10%), and detritus (5%). For Phyllophorus sp., the composition consists of sediment (70%), detritus (15%), Thalassiosira fluviatilis (10%), and Chaetoceros densus (5%). In Colochirus quadrangularis, the diet comprised Thalassiosira fluviatilis (55%), Cyclotella kuatzingiana (20%), sediment (15%), and detritus (10%).