title: [Growth, food conversion and mortality in Eretmochelys imbricata (Reptilia: Chelonidae) in artificial ponds in Costa Rica].
abstract: Growth rates, feed conversion and mortality of cultured Eretmochelys imbricata (hawksbill turtle) were studied in concrete raceways by feeding with fresh fish meal (tilapia) and in duplicate (tanks of 21 m2). The turtles were 11 months old at the beginning of the experiment, with and average caparace straight length of 23.64 +/- 1.94 cm, an average caparace curved length of 24.15 +/- 1.94 cm and an average weight of 1527 +/- 2.54 g. The experiment was carried out during six months and a density of 3 ind/m2 was used. The equation of Von Bertalanffy for the growth of E. imbricata was LRC = 3.5 + [(82.0 -3.5) (1-e-0.67432 (t))]. The relationship between caparace straight length-weight was W = 5.207 x 10(-3) LRC 3.8807 (r = 0.99). The feed conversion was 1.54 +/- 0.74 and the mortality was zero during the study.
authors.affiliation: Junta de Administración Portuaria y Desarrollo Económico de la Vertiente Atlántica (JAPDEVA), Limón, Costa Rica.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Gutiérrez Montero
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cabrera Peña
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003364:Costa Rica; D005260:Female; D005502:Food; D008297:Male; D014426:Turtles / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism*