Ingestion of Brachionus
plicatilis and Artemia salina nauplii by mud crab Scylla
serrata larvae
J.C. Baylon, M.E.A. Bravo, N.C.
Maningo-2004
Aquaculture
Research, 35(1): 62-70
Abstract:
Two feeding experiments were conducted to
determine if Brachionus plicatilis and Artemia salina nauplii
were ingested by mud crab Scylla serrata larvae. In the first
experiment, larvae were fed with increasing densities of Artemia
nauplii with or without Brachionus to determine consumption with
increasing densities of Artemia and with increasing zoeal stage. This
experiment also aimed to determine if the presence of Brachionus as
an alternative prey influenced the intake of Artemia by the crab
larvae. There was generally an increase in intake with increasing densities
of Artemia and increased consumption of Artemia as the larvae
grew. Consumption of Brachionus was consistently high in all zoeal
stages. There was a significant reduction in the intake of Brachionus
with increasing consumption of Artemia in the early zoeal stages (Z1,
Z2, Z3), but at later stages (Z4, Z5) the intake of Artemia was no
longer affected by the presence of Brachionus. In the second
experiment, daily ingestion within instar of zoeal stages and megalopa were
compared. There was an increased consumption of Artemia nauplii on
the day before molting and increased ingestion of Brachionus on the
day after larvae had molted, except at Z3. Megalopae exhibited a decline in Artemia
nauplii intake on the days before metamorphosis to crablet.
(Division of Biological Sciences, College
of Arts and Sciences, University of the Philippines in the Visayas, 5023
Miagao, Iloilo, Philippines. E-mail: ccbaylon@iloilo.net)