Growth and survival of early juveniles of the marine sponge Hymeniacidon perlevis (Demospongiae) under controlled conditions.

To resolve "the supply problem" in sponge-derived drug development and other biotechnological applications, current research is exploring the possibility of obtaining an alternative sustainable supply of sponge biomass through intensive aquaculture of sponges utilizing artificial seed rearing. This study aimed to investigate the technology of early juvenile sponge cultivation under controlled conditions. The effects of food, temperature, water flow, and light on the growth and survival of early juveniles of the marine sponge Hymeniacidon perlevis were examined. The concentrations of four types of food elements [microalgae (Isochrysis galbana), photosynthetic bacteria (Rhodopseudomonas), Fe(3+) (FeCl(3)), and Si (Na(2)SiO(3))] were investigated for early H. perlevis juvenile growth. Interestingly, temperature changes have striking effects on juvenile growth. Juvenile sponges grow faster when they are shifted to higher temperatures (18 degrees C to 23 degrees C) than when they are shifted to lower temperatures (18 degrees C to 4 degrees C to 23 degrees C) or kept at a constant temperature (18 degrees C). Periodic water flow and light cycles favor early juvenile sponge growth. Light was found to be a key factor in the color loss of early H. perlevis juveniles. Overall, size (area) increased as much as 29 times for H. perlevis juveniles under the tested controlled conditions.