Technical communication
Results of an attempt for
mass production of Artemia in extensive ponds
O. Zmora, E. Avital, H. Gordin-2002
Aquaculture, 213(1-4): 395-400
Abstract:
During a 4-year period, mass production of Artemia
biomass in large ponds was demonstrated. The extensive system, which
consisted of 400–1200-m2 ponds, had a daily inflow of fishpond
effluent (40 ppt) that fed the Artemia and maintained a salinity
range of 90–100 ppt. A steady state of the Artemia population was
maintained by a daily introduction of 3–5 million nauplii/1000 m2
of pond and by selective harvest of adults. Using this method, an average of
5 kg/1000 m2/day of biomass was harvested over a period of
several months. With the exception of a few cases, gravid females were in
the oviparous reproductive cycle. It is suggested that the efficient daily
harvesting prevented completion of the reproductive cycle, and therefore,
natural recruitment in the ponds did not occur. In addition to biomass
production, one pond was used for cyst production and over 2 kg of dry
cysts/1000 m2/month was collected. Using artificial diet (soy
protein powder) in the ponds allowed bridging over periods of shortage of
natural feed. A regime of producing Artemia during the cold season is
proposed and some general aspects of biomass and cyst production are
discussed.
(National Center for Mariculture (NCM) Israel
Oceanographic and Limnological Research Ltd., P.O. Box 1212, Eilat 88112,
Israel, e-mail: zmora@agri.huji.ac.il)