Characterisation of
high-altitude Artemia populations from the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau,
PR China
G. Van Stappen, Liying Sui, Naihong Xin, P. Sorgeloos-2003
Hydrobiologia,
500 (1-3): 179-192
Abstract:
The brine shrimp Artemia was discovered in a
number of saline lakes on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, widely diverging in
chemical composition. Several lakes were athalassohaline, with relatively
high amounts of trace elements. Common environmental factors are their high
altitude (exceeding 4500 m) and the low average annual temperatures. A
number of Artemia populations in this area were analysed to assess
their preference for low temperatures and an athalassohaline medium.
Furthermore, their characteristics were compared with Artemia tibetiana,
the species recently described for one lake in this area. All samples
contained a variable mixture of parthenogenetic and bisexual individuals. A
cross-breeding test of the sample from Jingyu Lake showed cross-fertility
both with A. tibetiana and A. sinica. All populations
showed similarities to A. tibetiana: a large cyst diameter and
naupliar length, high HUFA content and a high tolerance to low temperatures,
as compared to the control A. franciscana samples. These can thus
be considered as recurrent characteristics of the populations from the
high-altitude low-temperature environment on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau,
although further research is needed to identify their exact species status.
(Laboratory of
Aquaculture &
Artemia Reference Center (ARC), Ghent University, Rozier 44, B-9000 Gent,
Belgium Tel: 32-9-2643754. Fax: 32-9-2644193.E-mail: gilbert.vanstappen@UGent.be)