Zooplankton production

Zooplankton Production for Aquaculture

Zooplankton production is essential for aquaculture, particularly for the rearing of fish, crustacean, and mollusk larvae. Zooplankton serves as a nutrient-rich food source, providing essential fatty acids and proteins, which promote larval growth and survival.

Types of Zooplankton Used in Aquaculture

1. Rotifers (Brachionus sp.)

   • Widely used for feeding marine fish larvae (e.g., sea bass, gilthead seabream).

   • Easy to culture and can be nutritionally enriched.

2. Artemia (Artemia salina nauplii)

   • Highly valued in aquaculture for their nutritional content.

   • Artemia cysts are easy to store and hatch.

3. Copepods

   • Ideal for fish species whose larvae have specific nutritional requirements.

   • More difficult to culture but offer better survival and growth rates.

Zooplankton Production Methods

1. Rotifer Culture

• Culture medium: Filtered and sterilized seawater, temperature 25-30°C, salinity 15-30 ppt.

• Feeding: Microalgae (Chlorella, Nannochloropsis) or commercial substitutes.

• Density: Maintain a stable population to prevent overcrowding and water degradation.

2. Artemia Hatching and Culture

• Cyst incubation: Saline water (25-35 g/L), continuous aeration, temperature 25-28°C.

• Harvesting: After 24 hours, nauplii are separated from cyst shells and fed to larvae.

3. Copepod Culture

• Culture medium: Filtered seawater, optimal temperature depending on species.

• Feeding: Live phytoplankton.

• Production: Longer cycle but necessary for some sensitive marine species.

Production Optimization

• Control of physico-chemical parameters (pH, oxygen, temperature).

• Monitoring water quality (prevent ammonia and nitrate accumulation).

• Nutritional enrichment (fatty acids, vitamins) before feeding larvae.

Zooplankton production is a key factor in the success of larval rearing in aquaculture. Proper mastery of culture techniques ensures high-quality nutritional intake for young aquatic organisms.