Diet-induced variations in
fatty acid content and composition of two on-grown stages of Artemia
salina
R. Vismara, S. Vestri, L.
Barsanti, P. Gualtieri-2003
Journal of Applied Phycology, 15(6):
477-483
Abstract
:
Three species of microalgae, the freshwater Euglena
gracilis and the marine Dunaliella salina and Tetraselmis
suecica, were fed to the brine shrimp Artemia salina in order
to compare their suitability in terms of fatty acid enrichment, and their
effect on the biometric parameters of the zooplankter. The fatty acid
content and composition were analyzed for the post-larval and pre-adult
stages of Artemia fed the algae and the results compared to the
initial content of unfed 24-hour post-hatch nauplii. Differences in the
total fatty acid content occurred between the three stages, the fatty acid
profile being determined by the composition of the diet. A decreasing trend
for almost all the individual fatty acids occurred through development from
post-larva to pre-adult with each of the three algal diets. Biometrical
differences between Artemia fed the marine algae and that fed Euglena
were not consistent in the post-larval stage, but became considerable in the
pre-adult stage. Artemia fed with Euglena achieved twice
the weight of animals fed the marine algae and showed the highest length.
The implications for the use of on-grown Artemia as a feed in
larviculture of marine and freshwater fish and crustaceans are considered.
(CNR Area della
Ricerca Pisa, Istituto di Biofisica, Via Moruzzi 1, Pisa, 56124, Italy)