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Abstract
ABSTRACT
This study aimed to evaluate the effects of three different microalgae species (Chaetoceros muelleri, Isochrysis galbana, Tetraselmis chuii) under two temperature conditions (30°C and 34°C) on the growth, survival rate, reproductive capacity, hatching rate, and total number of larvae of Pseudodiaptomus annandalei. In the first experiment, newly hatched larvae were cultured in 5-liter glass containers at an initial density of 500 individuals/L, using three different microalgae species as feed at two temperature levels. Each treatment was replicated three times. Daily, 300 ml of water was sampled to determine developmental stages and measure the growth rate of adults based on body length. The second experiment was conducted with 500 newly hatched larvae in 1-liter glass containers, maintaining the same temperature conditions and different microalgae species as in the previous experiment. The monitored parameters included survival rate, reproductive capacity, hatching rate, and the number of larvae per female. Ten adult males and ten adult females were placed in 1-liter glass containers and fed one of the three different microalgae species. Each treatment was replicated five times. The number of larvae was recorded daily over ten days to determine the total number of larvae per female. The results showed that the P. annandalei population grew faster and exhibited higher reproductive indicators at 30°C than at 34°C. Among the three tested different microalgae species, feeding P. annandalei with I. galbana or C. muelleri resulted in better growth in body length than feeding with T. chuii. Therefore, the combination of 30°C and the microalgae species I. galbana or C. muelleri is considered the optimal condition for the mass culture of this copepod species.
Keywords: Microalgae, Pseudodiaptomus annandalei, growth, reproduction, survival, hatching.