Table 1 Gut morphology from hindgut sections taken from juvenile Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) from the CTRL, ULVA, ASCO_N and ASCO_LG groupings at Week 8 and Week 12. Mucosal-fold length (μm) and laminar propria width (μm) measurements are taken from light microscopy images while the microvilli density (AU) measurements are taken from scanning electron microscopy images (± SD). The associated statistical measurements indicated are calculated from Kruskal-Wallis significance testing P < 0.05*, P < 0.01**, P < 0.001***

CTRL

221.06 (± 32.04)

58.58 (± 12.04)

4.07 (± 0.66)

152.48 (± 34.92)

31.43 (± 4.85)

4.23 (± 0.52)

ULVA

178.48 (± 19.56)

70.14 (± 20.65)

4.89 (± 0.44)

164.11 (± 23.57)

33.35 (± 5.50)

4.85 (± 0.81)

ASCO_N

152.43 (± 38.89)

102.17 (± 22.46)

3.67 (± 0.30)

187.42 (± 39.28)

38.26 (± 9.11)

4.02 (± 0.72)

ASCO_LG

115.61 (± 3.173)

106.19 (± 18.82)

3.47 (± 0.53)

95.62 (± 16.16)

48.75 (± 9.91)

3.64 (± 0.42)

Statistics

*CTRL+ASCO_N

(P = 0.0339)

***CTRL+ASCO_LG

(P = 0.0002)

*ULVA+ASCO_LG

(P = 0.0308)

*CTRL+ASCO_N

(P = 0.0409)

**CTRL+ASCO_LG

(P = 0.0076)

*ULVA+ASCO_LG

(P = 0.0119)

** ULVA+ASCO_N

(P = 0.0071)

**ULVA+ASCO_LG

(P = 0.0013)

*CTRL+ASCO_LG

(P = 0.0437)

*ULVA+ASCO_LG

(P = 0.012)

***ASCO_N + ASCO_LG

(P = 0.0008)

**CTRL+ASCO_LG

(P = 0.0064)

*ULVA+ASCO_LG

(P = 0.0185)

*ULVA+ASCO_LG

(P = 0.0135)