Use of flubendazole as a therapeutic agent against rotifers (Brachionus plicatilis) in intensive cultures of the harpacticoid copepodTisbe holothuriae

Abstract

Copepods are well known to be the optimal live feed for most species of marine ¢sh larvae. Still copepods are rarely used in marine hatcheries worldwide. Lack of e⁄cient production techniques are among the reasons for this. Consequently, Artemia and rotifers are utilized in commercial settings. One problem in intensive production of copepods is contamination with rotifers. Rotifers have higher growth rates than copepods and consequently will compete out the copepods when accidentally introduced to the copepod production systems. Once contamination has occurred, the only cure has been to shut down production and subsequently use a therapeutic agent to eliminate all zooplankton in the system before restart with a stock culture free of rotifers.We tested £ubendazole as a mean of controlling rotifers (Brachionus plicatilis) in intensive laboratory cultures of the harpacticoid copepod (Tisbe holothuria). Flubendazole was lethal to rotifers in concentrations as low as 0.05 mg L À 1 . There was no signi¢cant e¡ect on the concentration of copepods, even at the highest concentration tested, i.e. 5.0 mg L À 1 £ubendazole. We conclude that £ubendazole is an e¡ective drug for control of B. plicatilis inT. holothuriae batch cultures.

Interactions between populations of the calanoid copepodAcartia tonsaDana and the harpacticoid copepodTisbe holothuriaeHumes in mixed cultures of live feed for fish larvae

“…Frequently ciliates, rotifers, nematodes and other multicellular organisms contaminate copepod cultures. For most contaminants, however, eradication protocols have been established (e.g., Buchmann, & Bjerregaard, ; Steenfeldt, & Nielsen, ). In our culture facility T. holothuriae (identified to species in the present study) contamination of the A. tonsa cultures is likely to originate from our 28 m 3 seawater storage tank holding bottom water from the Kattegat.…”