The use of non-Brachionus plicatilis species complex rotifer in larviculture

Abstract

Due to the expanding world aquaculture production, the demand for high quality and quantity of fish larvae has also increased. Up to date, the bottleneck in larviculture is the stable and ample production of appropriate live food such as rotifers and copepods. Among rotifers, Brachionus plicatilis species complex, which encompasses 15 species with varied sizes ranging from 100 to 400 µm, is commonly used in most hatcheries. The use of B. plicatilis species complex (B. plicatilis, B. koreanus, and B. rotundiformis) in larviculture is reported in several review papers. In this review, we first described rotifer species not classified under B. plicatilis species complex, some of which are already used in larviculture, while some have high potential for use based on their characteristics, life history, and distribution. Rotifers, Brachionus angularis, Brachionus calyciflorus, and Proales similis, are described in detail in comparison with B. plicatilis species complex. Furthermore, we discussed some characteristics of rotifers which can affect their predation.