Abstract: An encapsulated food product for any type of animal has a readily removable non-food capsule surrounding an edible core. An interface between the capsule and core facilitates separation of the capsule and edible core. The capsule is fabricated to facilitate separation from the interface and core as two or more pieces. The invention encompasses simulated seeds and simulated nuts for the animal food industry and snacks for primates including humans.

Abstract: A tank for use in the culturing of marine and aquatic organisms that undergo larval settlement upon submerged surfaces and metamorphose thereon to become benthic motile animals that crawl upon said surfaces and graze food found thereon, such as abalone (phylum Mollusca, class Gastropoda, family Haliotidae), other gastropod molluscs including, but not limited to conch (class Gastropoda, genera Strombus, Cassis, Charonia, and others), Chilean "loco" (Choncholepas, choncholepas), sea urchins (phylum Echinodermata, class Echinoidea, order Cidaroidea), and other marine and aquatic motile benthic organisms of economic and scientific importance. The tank is provided with means for circulation of seawater through the tank and means are provided in the tank forming solid surfaces on which the larvae of abalone or other motile benthic organisms settle, feed and rest.

Abstract: A process for culturing abalone (phylum Mollusca, class Gastropoda, family Haliotidae); other gastropod molluscs including, but not limited to, conch (class Gastropoda; genera Strombus, Cassis, Charonia and others), Chilean "loco" (Concholepas, concholepas); sea urchins (phylum Echinodermata, class Echinoidea, order Cidaroidea) and other marine and aquatic motile benthic animals of economic and scientific importance in which larvae, when sufficiently developed to settle from swimming to crawling animals, are introduced into a bath of relatively pure water. Preconditioned settlement surfaces are provided in the bath that encourage the settling and metamorphosis processes and support life thereafter. The larvae are preferably introduced into the water in time-spaced batches, food is supplied, high quality water is supplied, waste products and unwanted detritus are continuously removed.

Abstract: In a process and apparatus for mariculture of abalone, fertilized abalone eggs are filtered from the environment in which they are spawned and fertilized and placed at controlled density into a constant temperature hatching bath of filtered seawater. The dissolved oxygen content of the hatching bath is maintained above at least about 75% of saturation at the temperature of the water. After the eggs hatch and the larvae have broken away from their respective egg cases, they are transferred free of egg debris to a constant temperature larvae growing bath of filtered seawater for the duration of larval development.