In this study, the effect of spirulina meal (Spirulina platensis) as a feed additive on growth and physiological response of Oscar fish,Astronotus ocellatus, was assessed using four diets including control without spirulina supplementation, 13.75 g/kg spirulina (SP1), 27.50 g/kg spirulina (SP2) and 55 g/kg spirulina (SP3). One hundred and twenty fish (10.41 ± 0.25 g) were disturbed to twelve aquariums and fed to apparent satiation three times a day for 8 weeks. The result showed that the SP3 treatment had statistically better growth performance, feeding parameters, total protease activity, total protein and lipid contents than the control. Moreover, haemoglobin, haematocrit, mean erythrocyte haemoglobin and mean erythrocyte haemoglobin concentrations were improved considerably in the SP3 treatment compared with the control. The SP3 treatment showed higher total protein and albumin levels, but lower triglycerides, cholesterol levels and liver enzyme activities than the control. Also, serum complements (C3, C4), lysozyme activity and total carotenoid contents in fish skin significantly increased in the SP3 treatment compared with the control. The results of this study suggest that spirulina powder at the level of 55 g/kg of the diet can be used as a functional natural feed additive to improve the performance of Oscar fish.

A specimen of Cryptopodia echinosa (Decapoda: Brachyura: Parthenopidae) was collected from the subtidal area of the northern Oman Sea in 2009. A literature review on the distribution of this species revealed that this is the first record of this species from the Oman Sea. The morphological structures of this species are given in this article.

Three brachyuran species of the family Xanthidae, Atergatis ocyroe, Macromedaeus voeltzkowi and Macromedaeus quinquedentatus are recorded from the Iranian coast of the Gulf of Oman. These specimens were collected in 2009 and 2010 from the Iranian waters of the Gulf of Oman. Among these species, A. ocyroe is a new record for the Gulf of Oman and M. quinquedentatus is a new record for the Iranian coast. This is the second record of M. voeltzkowi from the Iranian coast, whereas there is still no record from the Arabian coast of the Gulf of Oman. The diagnostic characteristics of the species and some taxonomic remarks are reported upon in this paper.

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