Nitrogen and Phosphorus Budget of a Polyculture System of Sea Cucumber(Apostichopus japonicus), Jellyfish(Rhopilema esculenta) and Shrimp(Fenneropenaeus chinensis)

The nitrogen(N) and phosphorus(P) budget and the ecological efficiency of a polyculture system of sea cucumber(Apostichopus japonicus), jellyfish(Rhopilema esculenta) and shrimp(Fenneropenaeus chinensis) were studied in a cofferdam, 120.2 ha in size. The nutrients were supplied by spring tide inflow. In total, 139600 kg N yr-1 and 9730 kg P yr-1 input to the system; while 118900 kg N yr-1 and 2840 kg P yr-1 outflowed from the system concurrently, thus the outflow was 85.7%(N) and 29.2%(P) of inflow. The production of N and P was 889.5 kg yr-1 and 49.28 kg yr-1(sea cucumber) and 204 kg yr-1 and 18.03 kg yr-1(jellyfish and shrimp), respectively. The utilization rate of N and P by polycultured animals was 7.8‰ and 6.9‰, respectively, 21.9% and 38% higher than that of monocultured sea cucumber. Our results indicated that the polyculture system was an efficient culture system of animals and a remediation system of coastal environment as well; it scavenged 14.3% and 70.8% of N and P, respectively. Such an ecological efficiency may be improved further by increasing either the stocking density or the size of sea cucumber or both.