Suitable algal species and density for the culture of copepod Gladioferens imparipes as a potential live food for fish larvae

Four algal species (Isochrysis galbana, Chaetoceros muelleri, Tetraselmis suecica and Nannochloropsis oculata) were tested experimentally as food for the calanoid copepod Gladioferens imparipes, which could be a potential food for marine fish larvae. Each of the algal species was used at four separate concentrations (5 × 10⁴, 1 × 10⁵, 2 × 10⁵ and 4 × 10⁵ cells/ml). The results illustrated that I. galbana and C. muelleri were the most suitable diets for the copepod species, promoting high survival of the adults and shortening the maturation time. With both algal species, intensive successful rearing of nauplii to mature adults was conducted at all concentrations of the algal species, resulting in high number of ovigerous females. Meanwhile, I. galbana was the best diet enhancing the production of egg sac in the cultivated copepod. In addition, the fatty acids in the copepod species were affected by the algal diets, resulting in variable amounts of the HUFA (DHA, EPA and ARA) in the copepod relative to the algal diets.