naturally stratified oxic-anoxic sediment developed. Aeration was provided to the oxic-anoxic tanks using airstones to maintain dissolved oxygen levels within the water column (Table 1). Prior to stocking into experimental tanks, the juvenile sea cucumbers (n = 128) were suspended in mesh bags for twenty four hours to ensure gut contents were evacuated prior to weighing. They were then drained on a damp cloth for one minute, weighed to the nearest 0.01 gram (g) and photographed for individual to permit monitoring of individual growth rates (Raj 1998). Animals with a mean weight of 7.3 ± 0.07 g individual-1 (mean ± SE) were allocated randomly to 32 groups of four individuals per group. Each individual was gut-evacuated for 24 hours and reweighed every 27 days over the 81 day experimental period. Wet weight data were used to calculated specific growth rate (SGR), growth rate and co-efficient of variation (CV) as follows: SGR (%/day) = 100 (lnW2 lnW1) / T − Growth rate (g/day) = (W2 W1)/T, – CV (%) =100 × (SD/) where W1 and W2 are initial and final wet body weight of sea cucumbers in each experimental tank (g); T is the duration of the experiment (days); SD is the standard deviation in body weight and is the mean wet weight (g) of sea cucumbers in each experimental tank for a particular sampling period. Behavioural observations Behavioural observations were carried out over three consecutive 24 h periods in the penultimate week of the study. Observations were made at four hour intervals, commencing at noon. Red light was used to facilitate night time observations. During
naturally stratified oxic-anoxic sediment developed. Aeration was provided to the oxic-anoxic tanks using airstones to maintain dissolved oxygen levels within the water column (Table 1). Prior to stocking into experimental tanks, the juvenile sea cucumbers (n = 128) were suspended in mesh bags for twenty four hours to ensure gut contents were evacuated prior to weighing. They were then drained on a damp cloth for one minute, weighed to the nearest 0.01 gram (g) and photographed for individual to permit monitoring of individual growth rates (Raj 1998). Animals with a mean weight of 7.3 ± 0.07 g individual-1 (mean ± SE) were allocated randomly to 32 groups of four individuals per group. Each individual was gut-evacuated for 24 hours and reweighed every 27 days over the 81 day experimental period. Wet weight data were used to calculated specific growth rate (SGR), growth rate and co-efficient of variation (CV) as follows: SGR (%/day) = 100 (lnW2 − lnW1) / T Growth rate (g/day) = (W2 – W1)/T, CV (%) =100 × (SD/) where W1 and W2 are initial and final wet body weight of sea cucumbers in each experimental tank (g); T is the duration of the experiment (days); SD is the standard deviation in body weight and is the mean wet weight (g) of sea cucumbers in each experimental tank for a particular sampling period. Behavioural observations Behavioural observations were carried out over three consecutive 24 h periods in the penultimate week of the study. Observations were made at four hour intervals, commencing at noon. Red light was used to facilitate night time observations. During
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