Optimum Feeding Rate of the Rotifer Brachionus plicatilis on the Marine Alga Nannochloropsis sp.

Abstract

The optimum feeding rate of the rotifer Bruchionus plicutilis was investigated to determine the best conditions for growth of the rotifer, and also in order to maintain good water quality of the culture. Fifty rotifers of a large size strain were cultured individually at five food density levels of Nannoehloropsis sp. (0.5 ± 106, 1.5 ± 106, 3 ± 106, 5 ± 106, and 8 ± 106 cells/ml). At each level, daily survival and offspring production were recorded until the death of the final individual. The data obtained were analyzed by the life table method. The maximum value of three growth indices (the net reproduction rate, mean life expectancy at age 0, and intrinsic rate of increase) was obtdned at the food density of 1.5 ± 106 cells/ml. The ration size was calculated to be 325% (dry weight)/ day, which is equivalent to about 70% of the saturated feeding rate. It was suggested that the feeding rate should be controlled to lower than the saturated value for an efficient mass culture.

Growth, filtration and ingestion rate of the rotifer Brachionus plicatilis fed with large (Asteromonas gracilis ) and small (Chlorella sp.) celled algal species

“…However, in other studies (Starkweather & Gilbert 1977; Starkweather, Gilbert & Frost 1979 for B. calyciflorus ), no critical food density was recorded for the small food items used, the ingestion rate continued to increase as food density increased. Our findings supported indirectly by data from other studies on the population growth of B. plicatilis feeding on minute algae (Hirayama & Ogawa 1972; Hirayama, Watanabe & Kusano 1973; Ahmad, Yamasaki & Hirata 1991), seem convincingly solid for the existence of an optimum algal density feeding model not only for Chlorella (representing the category of minute algae), but also for the oversized cells (represented here by Asteromonas ). It seems that the effectiveness of utilization of any algal food (as expressed by the ingestion rate that is depended on the filtration rate), is affected by several factors: (a) food type, mainly by the presence or not of a cell wall (Lubian 1982); (b) its critical (optimum?)…”

“…The acceptability and the efficiency by which the rotifers (especially B . plicatilis that is uniquely mass cultured as food for larval stages) exploit different algal suspensions are influenced by several factors such as age and starvation (Starkweather 1980; Bogdan & Gilbert 1982), which with the exception of cell concentration (Hirayama, Tagaki & Kimura 1979; Yufera & Pascual 1985; James & Abu‐Rezeq 1988; Ahmad, Yamasaki & Hirata 1991) are not adequately evaluated. Especially, the effect of the cell size of the various algal species available for culture has been inadequately investigated.…”

The impact of live food enrichment on the growth performance and survival rate of thin-lipped mullet, Liza ramada larvae

“…50% of the total AsA ingested. Among the microalgae used to feed rotifers, the eustigmatophyte Nannochloropsis was found to support high rates of rotifer reproduction (Yamasaki et al, 1989;Ahmad, 1991 andFerreira et al, 2018). This alga contains substantial quantities of EPA.…”

Small‐Scale System for the Mass Production of Rotifers Using Algal Paste

“…Production of this rotifer can be based on different food sources, including various species of live, dried, and frozen algae, yeast, and bacteria concentrates. The production of rotifers cultured on these different food sources has been well documented (Gatesoupe and Liquet 1981;Rezeq and James 1987;James and Abu-Rezeq 1988;Ahmad et al 1991;Jones et al 1993;Lubzens et al 1995). In addition, several researchers have investigated and described the technical and biological aspects of mass culture systems for Brachionus spp.…”