Selection of Copepods as Live Food for Marine Fish Larvae Based on Their Size, Fecundity, and Nutritional Value

Abstract

Copepods are a major food source for marine fish larvae in nature. Many studies on copepods culture have been conducted to develop a new live food for the seedling production of marine fish larvae. But fish farmers still depend on rotifer and Artemia nauplii. This study was carried out to find suitable copepods as live food for the larvae in hatchery. Eight species of copepods (1 calanoid, 2 cyclpoid, 5 harpacticoid) that were fed Isochrysis galbana were examined in terms of the size of nauplii, fecundity, amino acids, and fatty acids contents. These species were divided into small (nauplii length 46-86 <TEX>${\mu}m$</TEX>) and large (nauplii length 120-188 <TEX>${\mu}m$</TEX>) size group. Nitokra spinipes in the small group and Tigriopus japonicus in the large group showed the highest fecundity with 151.1 and 139.6 nauplii production per gravid female, respectively. With regard to nutrients, essential amino acids were the highest with 21.2% in cyclopoid Paracyclopina nana in the small group and n-3 HUFA were the highest in calanoid Pseudodiaptomus inopinus (8.5 <TEX>${\mu}g/mg$</TEX>) in the large group and P. nana (8.8 <TEX>${\mu}g/mg$</TEX>). In terms of the size, fecundity, and nutritional value of copepods examined in this study, N. spinipes and P. nana seem to be suitable copepod species to develop as a new live food for small mouth fish larvae.