Intensive cultivation of the
calanoid copepod Gladioferens imparipes
M.F. Payne, R.J. Rippingale-2001
Aquaculture, 201(3-4): 329-342
Abstract:
In aquaculture, inclusion of copepod nauplii in the
diet of larval fish may increase the number of fish species that can be
successfully reared. Pelagic nauplii of calanoid copepods are more available
as food items for most marine fish larvae than the predominantly epibenthic
nauplii of harpacticoid copepods. However, sustained and substantial
production of calanoid copepod nauplii is difficult. Intensive copepod
cultures allow reliable and sustained production while utilising less space
than extensive culture systems. Three intensive culture techniques for the
temperate water estuarine calanoid copepod Gladioferens imparipes are
described. These techniques comprise 60- and 500-l batch cultures and 1000-l
semi-continuous cultures. Five hundred-litre cultures are part of a
recirculating system that features automated nauplius collection and water
treatment. Standardised nauplius production, expressed as number of nauplii
produced per litre of culture vessel per day, is given for each technique.
878±46 nauplii/l culture vessel/day was achieved over 420 days for G.
imparipes cultured in 500-l vessels. Standardised nauplius production is
compared with published data from other copepod culture systems.
(Department of Environmental Biology, School of
Resource Science and Technology, Curtin University of Technology, GPO Box
U1987, Perth, 6845, Australia, Tel.: +61-8-9266-7922; fax: +61-8-9266-2495,
e-mail of R.J. Rippingale: R.Rippingale@info.curtin.edu.au)