Potential antifouling stategies for marine finfish aquaculture: the effects of physical and chemical treatments on the settlement and survival of the hydroid Ectopleura larynx

The hydroid Ectopleura larynx is a common fouling organism on aquaculture nets. To contribute to the development of novel cleaning methods, laboratory and field studies determined the effects of heat (30, 40, 50 and 60 degrees C for immersion times of 1 and 3 s) and acetic acid (0.2 and 2.0% for immersion times of 1, 3 and 10 s, 1 and 5 min) on the settlement of actinulae and the survival of juvenile and adult E. larynx. Laboratory studies showed that, regardless of immersion time, a temperature of 50 degrees C was effective in preventing the settlement of actinulae and the survival of juveniles, while