Sea urchin partitioned ingestion device based on behavior bionics and use method thereof

Abstract

The invention discloses a sea urchin partitioned ingestion device based on behavior bionics and a use method thereof, and belongs to the technical field of aquaculture equipment. The device comprises a frame assembly, a culture space formed by a netting surrounding the frame assembly, and a sea urchin attachment plate and a kelp feeding plate which are arranged in the space in parallel; based on the behavioral discovery that sea urchins like'back attachment side wall ingestion ', the habitat function and the ingestion function are physically separated, the sea urchin attachment plate provides a rough habitat supporting surface, the plate surface of the kelp feeding plate is provided with a conical circular-truncated-cone-shaped protruding structure with specific geometric parameters, bait can be fixed, and the feeding effect can be improved. And the sea urchin can be prevented from being firmly attached by destroying a continuous plane adsorbed by the pipe foot. The device solves the technical problems that due to a traditional feeding mode, bait distribution is not uniform, and sea urchins are prone to being damaged during operation, fixed-point feeding and low-damage management are achieved, and the survival rate and growth uniformity of the sea urchins in the middle breeding stage can be remarkably improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the technical field of aquaculture equipment, specifically relating to a sea urchin partitioned feeding device based on behavioral biomimicry and its usage method. Background Technology

[0002] In the sea urchin farming industry, the intermediate rearing stage is a crucial link connecting seedling cultivation and adult farming. The growth status and survival rate of sea urchins at this stage directly determine the final farming yield and economic benefits. Currently, most sea urchin farming in offshore net cages involves directly scattering feed (such as kelp) into the net cages. While this traditional method is simple to operate, it suffers from several intractable technical drawbacks: First, the scattered flakes of feed tend to float and accumulate in the net cages, resulting in extremely uneven distribution. This leads to significant differences in the opportunities for individual sea urchins to obtain food, resulting in inconsistent sizes. This not only affects subsequent aquaculture management but also reduces the overall quality of the marketable sea urchins. Second, sea urchins do not have fixed attachment points when feeding, forming irregular but firm attachments in various areas of the aquaculture space. When cleaning up uneaten feed or replacing it with new feed, operators must forcibly separate the sea urchins from their attachment points. This process easily causes physical damage such as tearing of the sea urchin's tube feet and shell abrasion. Damaged sea urchins have reduced immunity and are more susceptible to bacterial and viral infections in the seawater environment, leading to infection and even death. This results in a generally low survival rate during the intermediate rearing stage.

[0003] To address the aforementioned issues and better align with the natural feeding preferences of sea urchins, the inventors conducted systematic behavioral observations and discovered that *Syngonium spp.* exhibits a significant preference for specific feeding postures when given the opportunity. Specifically, during a 7-day continuous observation of 180 individual individuals, a total of 1260 feeding behaviors were recorded (see Table 1). Among these, the behavior of "feeding while attached to the side wall on the back" accounted for the highest proportion, reaching approximately 45.0% (567 / 1260), while the traditionally accepted behavior of "feeding while lying on the food with attached kelp" accounted for only about 6.6% (83 / 1260). This finding suggests that sea urchins may naturally prefer to feed with a stable side wall as support. Traditional throwing and feeding methods may not only limit sea urchins from expressing this natural feeding behavior but also exacerbate the problem of damage during separation due to the lack of a dedicated habitat for sea urchins, leading to irregular attachment within the aquaculture space.

[0004] Therefore, there is an urgent need for an aquaculture device that can adapt to the natural feeding behavior of sea urchins and fundamentally innovate the feeding mode. By reconstructing the functional zoning and interface characteristics of the aquaculture space, it can fundamentally solve problems such as uneven feed distribution and severe operational damage, achieve precise feeding and low-damage management in the intermediate growth stage of sea urchins, and ultimately improve the survival rate and industrial benefits of aquaculture.

[0005] Table 1. Individual distribution of sea urchins under different feeding behaviors (n=180) Summary of the Invention

[0006] This invention provides a sea urchin zoned feeding device based on behavioral biomimicry and its usage method, in order to solve the technical problems of uneven feed distribution, easy damage to sea urchins during operation, and failure to fully utilize the natural feeding behavior preferences of sea urchins in traditional feeding methods.

[0007] This invention provides a biomimetic sea urchin zoned feeding device, comprising: a frame assembly, a net, at least one resting functional component, and at least one feeding functional component. The net is arranged around the outer periphery of the frame assembly, together forming a breeding space. The resting functional component is disposed within the breeding space to provide an attachment surface for the sea urchin's back. The feeding functional component and the resting functional component are arranged side by side within the breeding space. The feeding functional component has a working surface for carrying food, and the working surface is provided with an anti-attachment structure. The anti-attachment structure is configured to allow the sea urchin to crawl and feed on it, while preventing the sea urchin's tube feet from forming a firm attachment.

[0008] As a further optimization of the present invention, the habitat functional component is a sea urchin attachment plate with a roughened surface, and the upper edge of the sea urchin attachment plate is provided with a first hooking part; the feeding functional component is a kelp feeding plate, and the upper edge of the kelp feeding plate is provided with a second hooking part. The first hooking part and the second hooking part are hole-shaped structures or U-shaped groove structures with elastic buckles that are adapted to the outer diameter of the longitudinal support rod of the frame assembly, so that the sea urchin attachment plate and the kelp feeding plate can be suspended on the longitudinal support rod and can slide along its length.

[0009] As a further optimization of the present invention, the anti-adhesion structure is a densely distributed protrusion structure, the protrusion structure is in the shape of a cone-shaped frustum, the bottom diameter is 0.8-1.2cm, the top diameter is 1-3mm, and the top is a smooth plane.

[0010] As a further optimization of the present invention, the distance between the sea urchin attachment plate and the kelp feeding plate is adjustable, with an adjustment range of 3-10cm; the first hanging part of the sea urchin attachment plate is provided with scale markings.

[0011] As a further optimization of the present invention, a safety gap is formed between the perching functional component and the side wall and / or bottom wall of the net, and the width of the safety gap is not less than 5 cm.

[0012] As a further optimization of the present invention, both sides of the sea urchin attachment plate are rough surfaces; the kelp feeding plate has a low rim around its perimeter and several water passage holes are provided on the plate.

[0013] As a further optimization of the present invention, the frame assembly is made of high-strength galvanized steel pipe resistant to seawater corrosion; the sea urchin attachment plate and the kelp feeding plate are made of high-density polyethylene material.

[0014] As a further optimization of the present invention, the sea urchin attachment plate is dark gray and the kelp feeding plate is light green.

[0015] As a further optimization of the present invention, the mesh and frame assembly are fixedly connected by detachable cable ties or clamps.

[0016] The present invention also provides a method of using a biomimetic sea urchin partitioning feeding device, comprising the following steps: S1: Based on the average size of the sea urchins to be cultured, adjust the distance between the sea urchin attachment plate and the kelp feeding plate to a suitable distance through the first and second attachment parts; S2: Lay the cut kelp strips and place them between the raised structures of the kelp feeding board to complete the bait loading; S3: Hang the kelp feeding board loaded with bait into the net cage, and set it up side by side with the sea urchin attachment board. The sea urchin will spontaneously attach to the sea urchin attachment board with its back and extend its mouth to feed on the bait on the kelp feeding board. S4: After the kelp feeding board is finished, lift it out of the frame assembly and it will fall off naturally because the sea urchin cannot firmly attach to the raised structure. S5: After cleaning the kelp feeding board on the shore, reload it with fresh bait and hang it back in the frame assembly for the next round of feeding.

[0017] The beneficial effects of this invention are: (1) This invention transforms the behavioral finding that sea urchins "prefer to feed by relying on the stable sidewalls on their backs" into a technical solution that physically separates and synergistically optimizes the "habitat area" and the "feeding area". By providing a rough sea urchin attachment board as a dedicated habitat support surface and setting up a kelp feeding board with an anti-attachment structure to carry the bait, sea urchins can feed in the most natural and comfortable posture (attached to their backs and with their mouths extended). This avoids the physical damage caused by sea urchins irregularly attaching in the aquaculture space due to the lack of a dedicated habitat and being forcibly separated during feeding and cleaning.

[0018] (2) The kelp feeding plate of the present invention is provided with a conical frustum-shaped anti-attachment structure. By destroying the necessary conditions for vacuum adsorption of the suckers of the sea urchin tube feet, the interface characteristics of "easy to feed and difficult to attach" are achieved. When changing the feed, the sea urchin can easily fall off the plate, thereby greatly reducing the mechanical damage to the sea urchin caused by daily management operations such as cleaning and changing feed, effectively reducing infection and death caused by damage, and significantly improving the survival rate in the intermediate growth stage.

[0019] (3) By fixing the feed on the working surface of the kelp feeding board, the present invention realizes fixed-point and fixed-position feeding, which solves the problem of uneven feed distribution and scattering and accumulation with the water flow caused by the traditional throwing method. It ensures that all sea urchin individuals in the breeding space can get equal feeding opportunities, reduces the individual size difference caused by unequal feeding opportunities, and is conducive to the synchronous and uniform growth of batches of sea urchins, improves the consistency of the final product's commodity specifications, and facilitates subsequent grading and sales management.

[0020] (4) The suspended plate design of the present invention allows the kelp feeding plate to be easily placed, cleaned, and reloaded with feed on the shore or on the workboat, which greatly improves work efficiency. The vertically suspended sea urchin attachment plate and kelp feeding plate make full use of the longitudinal water space of the net cage, providing more effective attachment surfaces and feeding sites for sea urchins without increasing the area occupied by the net cage, which is conducive to achieving reasonable high-density aquaculture and improving the output efficiency per unit water volume. Attached Figure Description

[0021] For ease of explanation, the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to specific embodiments and accompanying drawings.

[0022] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a top view of the structure according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3 for Figure 2 The cross-sectional view at point AA in the middle shows the composition of the safety clearance. Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the sea urchin attachment plate in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the kelp feeding plate in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 6 for Figure 5 Enlarged view of a portion of the central convex structure; Figure 7 This is a partially enlarged schematic diagram of the mounting mechanism in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0023] In the picture: 1-Frame assembly; 2-Network; 3-Sea urchin attachment plate; 301-First hook part; 4-Kelp feeding plate; 401-Second hook part; 402-Protruding structure. Detailed Implementation

[0024] The following are specific embodiments of the present invention described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, further illustrating the technical solutions of the present invention. However, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments. Specific details, such as particular configurations and components, are provided in the following description merely to aid in a comprehensive understanding of the embodiments of the present invention. Therefore, those skilled in the art should understand that various changes and modifications can be made to the embodiments described herein without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention. Furthermore, for clarity and brevity, descriptions of known functions and structures have been omitted.

[0025] It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features described in this invention can be combined with each other.

[0026] See Figures 1-7 This embodiment provides a sea urchin partitioning feeding device based on behavioral biomimicry. The device has a three-dimensional frame structure and mainly includes a frame component 1, a net 2, a sea urchin attachment plate 3, and a kelp feeding plate 4.

[0027] The frame component 1, serving as the supporting skeleton of the entire device, can be welded from high-strength galvanized steel pipes, possessing excellent structural strength and resistance to seawater corrosion to adapt to the harsh environment of long-term marine aquaculture. The frame component 1 is typically designed as a cuboid or cubic structure, with longitudinal support rods at its top used to suspend internal functional panels.

[0028] Netting 2 is made of corrosion-resistant, high-strength polyethylene or nylon mesh. The mesh size is selected according to the size of the sea urchins being cultured to prevent them from escaping and to ensure water exchange. Netting 2 wraps around the outer perimeter of frame assembly 1 and is fixedly connected to frame assembly 1 by detachable cable ties or clamps (not shown in the figure), together forming a closed or semi-closed culture space. This detachable connection method facilitates the replacement, cleaning, and maintenance of the netting.

[0029] The sea urchin attachment plate 3, as a habitat component in this embodiment, is used to simulate a natural reef environment, providing the sea urchin with its preferred, stable back support surface. Figure 4 As shown, the sea urchin attachment plate 3 is a rectangular plate structure, preferably made of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) material, which has excellent seawater resistance and durability. Its surface is roughened, for example by embossing, sandblasting, or applying a biocompatible coating, to increase the coefficient of friction and facilitate the firm attachment of the sea urchin's tube feet. To further improve space utilization, both sides of the sea urchin attachment plate 3 can be roughened, allowing the sea urchin to attach to either side. The upper edge of the sea urchin attachment plate 3 is provided with a first hooking part 301. In this embodiment, this hooking part can be a circular hole that fits tightly with the outer diameter of the longitudinal support rod of the frame, or it can be a U-shaped groove with an elastic buckle (see...). Figure 6This ensures that the panels can be stably suspended and slide along the support rod to achieve position adjustment. Preferably, a scale mark is provided next to the first mounting part 301 to facilitate operators to accurately adjust the distance between the panels.

[0030] The kelp feeding plate 4, as a feeding function component in this embodiment, is arranged side by side with the sea urchin attachment plate 3. Figure 5 As shown, the kelp feeding board 4 is also a rectangular plate structure made of high-density polyethylene material, and its working surface is provided with densely distributed anti-adhesion structures. In this embodiment, the anti-adhesion structure is specifically an array of conical frustum-shaped protrusions 402 (see...). Figure 5 and Figure 6 The geometric parameters of the individual protrusion 402 are optimized: its bottom diameter is approximately 0.8-1.2 cm, its top diameter is approximately 1-3 mm, and its top is a smooth, rounded plane. The gaps between the protrusions 402 and the small plane at the top can effectively support and hold the sheet-like bait, preventing it from drifting away with the water flow. At the same time, its tiny top contact area and smooth surface disrupt the continuous plane required for the sea urchin's tube foot sucker to form a vacuum adsorption, allowing the sea urchin to crawl and feed freely on the board surface, but preventing it from forming a firm and lasting adsorption, thus achieving the interface characteristics of "easy to feed, difficult to adhere". The upper edge of the kelp feeding board 4 is provided with a second hanging part 401, which has a similar structure to the first hanging part 301, and is used to suspend it on the same or adjacent longitudinal support rod of the frame.

[0031] In this embodiment, the sea urchin attachment plate 3 and the kelp feeding plate 4 are suspended side by side, and the distance between them is adjustable. Figure 2 As shown, by sliding the first hook part 301 or the second hook part 401, the spacing can be adjusted to a range of 3-10cm. This range is determined based on the body diameter of the middle ball sea urchin and the effective distance of its mouthparts when feeding, ensuring that the sea urchin can easily reach and feed on the food on the kelp feeding plate 4 while its back is firmly attached to the sea urchin attachment plate 3.

[0032] In this embodiment, a safety distance D1 is reserved between the sea urchin attachment plate 3 and the side wall of the net 2, and a safety distance D2 is reserved between the sea urchin attachment plate 3 and the bottom wall of the net 2, such as... Figure 3 As shown, the width of this spacing is not less than 5 cm. This spacing is designed based on the size and range of movement of sea urchins, ensuring that sea urchins will not be squeezed or damaged due to the narrow space when moving between the sea urchin attachment plate 3 and the net 2. This structurally avoids the risk of physical damage caused by squeezing, providing a safe breeding environment for sea urchins.

[0033] To facilitate underwater operation differentiation, the sea urchin attachment board 3 is designed in dark gray, creating a clear visual difference from the kelp feeding board 4 and reducing the probability of misoperation in daily management; the kelp feeding board 4 is designed in light green, making it easy to observe the remaining feed.

[0034] The kelp feeding board 4 can be surrounded by a low rim to prevent small bait fragments from being washed away by the water flow and to improve the utilization rate of the bait. Several water passage holes are evenly opened on the board to promote water exchange on both sides of the board surface, maintain water quality and facilitate the diffusion of bait odor, and prevent the bait from rotting due to local water hypoxia.

[0035] The method of using the device in this embodiment specifically includes the following steps, which combine the feeding habits of sea urchins to achieve low-damage and precise feeding: S1: Based on the average size of the sea urchins to be cultured, adjust the distance between the sea urchin attachment plate 3 and the kelp feeding plate 4 to a suitable distance by sliding the first hook part 301 and the second hook part 401; the adjustment can be made precisely by using the scale markings on the first hook part 301. S2: Lay the cut kelp strips and place them between the protruding structures 402 of the kelp feeding plate 4 to complete the fixed loading of the bait; S3: Hang the kelp feeding board 4 loaded with bait into the net cage, and set it side by side with the sea urchin attachment board 3. The sea urchin will spontaneously attach to the sea urchin attachment board 3 with its back and extend its mouth to feed on the bait on the kelp feeding board 4. S4: After the bait has been consumed, lift the kelp feeding board 4 out of the frame assembly 1 and lift it out of the water. Due to the anti-attachment design of the protruding structure 402, the sea urchins attached to it cannot be firmly attached and will fall off naturally and easily as the board leaves the water and fall back into the water or onto the sea urchin attachment board 3 below, thus achieving a bait removal operation with almost no damage. S5: After cleaning the kelp feeding board 4 on the shore, reload it with fresh bait and hang it back in the frame assembly 1 for the next round of feeding.

[0036] This implementation method, through the collaborative design of "functional zoning" and "interface biomimicry," translates the behavioral preference of sea urchins to feed on their backs along the sidewalls into a concrete engineering solution. The rough sea urchin attachment plate provides a stable habitat that aligns with their natural instincts, while the kelp feeding plate with a specific geometrically oriented protruding structure creates an interface that allows feeding but inhibits firm attachment. This not only significantly reduces the risk of human-induced damage during feed changes and improves survival rates, but also enables targeted and uniform feeding, promoting uniform growth of sea urchins. The entire device has a reasonable structure, simple operation, and is easy to promote, providing an effective tool for precise and low-damage aquaculture in the intermediate growth stage of sea urchins.

[0037] It should be noted that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the exemplary embodiments according to this application. As used herein, the singular form is intended to include the plural form as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Furthermore, it should be understood that when the terms "comprising" and / or "including" are used in this specification, they indicate the presence of features, steps, operations, devices, components, and / or combinations thereof.

[0038] In the description of this application, it should be understood that the terms "upper" and "lower" indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are used only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this application.

[0039] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of that feature. In the description of this application, "multiple" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise explicitly specified.

Claims

1. A biomimetic sea urchin partitioning feeding device, characterized in that, include: Framework component (1); Netting (2), the netting (2) is arranged around the outer periphery of the frame component (1) to form a breeding space; At least one habitat component, which is disposed within the aquaculture space and is used to provide an attachment surface for the sea urchin's back; At least one feeding functional component is arranged side by side with a habitat functional component in the aquaculture space. The feeding functional component has a working surface for carrying food. The working surface is provided with an anti-attachment structure, which is configured to allow sea urchins to crawl and feed on it, and to prevent the tube feet of sea urchins from forming a firm attachment.

2. The sea urchin partitioning feeding device based on behavioral biomimicry according to claim 1, characterized in that, The habitat component is a roughened sea urchin attachment plate (3), and the upper edge of the sea urchin attachment plate (3) is provided with a first hook part (301); the feeding component is a kelp feeding plate (4), and the upper edge of the kelp feeding plate (4) is provided with a second hook part (401). The first hook part (301) and the second hook part (401) are hole-shaped structures or U-shaped groove structures with elastic buckles that are adapted to the outer diameter of the longitudinal support rod of the frame assembly (1), so that the sea urchin attachment plate (3) and the kelp feeding plate (4) can be suspended on the longitudinal support rod and can slide along its length.

3. The sea urchin partitioning feeding device based on behavioral biomimicry according to claim 1, characterized in that, The anti-adhesion structure is a densely distributed protrusion structure (402). The protrusion structure (402) is in the shape of a cone-shaped frustum, with a bottom diameter of 0.8-1.2cm and a top diameter of 1-3mm, and the top is a smooth plane.

4. The sea urchin partitioning feeding device based on behavioral biomimicry according to claim 1, characterized in that, The distance between the sea urchin attachment plate (3) and the kelp feeding plate (4) is adjustable, with an adjustment range of 3-10cm; the first hook part (301) of the sea urchin attachment plate (3) is provided with scale markings.

5. A sea urchin partitioning feeding device based on behavioral biomimicry according to claim 1, characterized in that, A safe distance is formed between the perching functional component and the side wall and / or bottom wall of the net (2), and the width of the safe distance is not less than 5 cm.

6. The sea urchin partitioning feeding device based on behavioral biomimicry according to claim 1, characterized in that, Both sides of the sea urchin attachment plate (3) are rough surfaces; the kelp feeding plate (4) has a low rim around its perimeter and several water passage holes on its surface.

7. A sea urchin partitioning feeding device based on behavioral biomimicry according to claim 2, characterized in that, The frame assembly (1) is made of high-strength galvanized steel pipe resistant to seawater corrosion; the sea urchin attachment plate (3) and the kelp feeding plate (4) are made of high-density polyethylene material.

8. A sea urchin partitioning feeding device based on behavioral biomimicry according to claim 2, characterized in that, The sea urchin attachment plate (3) is dark gray, and the kelp feeding plate (4) is light green.

9. A sea urchin partitioning feeding device based on behavioral biomimicry according to claim 1, characterized in that, The mesh (2) is fixedly connected to the frame assembly (1) by detachable cable ties or clamps.

10. A method of using the biomimetic sea urchin partitioning feeding device as described in any one of claims 1-9, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: S1: Based on the average size of the sea urchins to be cultured, adjust the distance between the sea urchin attachment plate (3) and the kelp feeding plate (4) to a suitable distance through the first attachment part (301) and the second attachment part (401); S2: Lay the cut kelp strips and place them between the raised structures (402) of the kelp feeding board (4) to complete the bait loading; S3: Hang the kelp feeding board (4) loaded with bait into the net cage and set up side by side with the sea urchin attachment board (3). The sea urchins will spontaneously attach to the sea urchin attachment board (3) with their backs and extend their mouths to feed on the bait on the kelp feeding board (4). S4: After the food is consumed, the kelp feeding board (4) is lifted out of the frame assembly (1) and the sea urchin falls off naturally because it cannot firmly adhere to the protruding structure (402). S5: After cleaning the kelp feeding board (4) on the shore, reload it with fresh bait and hang it back in the frame assembly (1) for the next round of feeding.

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