Abstract: The selectivity of wild and farmed sea cucumber Apostichopus japonicus with different sizes for dietary sand particle sizes was studied by examination of the items in the digestive tracts. The sea cucumber was found to show selectivity for the sand particle size. Approximately 60% of the intestinal contents in the wild sea cucumber was comprised of the sand particles with size from 0.0625 mm to 0.5 mm, depending on the environment. In the sea cucumber cultured in a pond, however, the less than 0.25 mm particles were observed in 60% of the intestinal contents. The indoor experiment with the same ratio of different sizes revealed that the sea cucumber showed the same size selectivity, feeding 60% of the particle size varying from 0. 125 mm to 0.5 mm.
2008, Vol. 23 
