Brachionus vs Artemia duel: Optimizing first feeding of Upogebia pusilla (Decapoda: Thalassinidea) larvae

Larval rearing of many marine organisms is dependent on the availability of live food. The aim of this study was to optimize larval first feeding for the mud shrimp Upogebia pusilla, by comparing the effectiveness of the two most commonly used live feeds: Brachionus plicatilis and Artemia sp. nauplii. Survival, larval duration, molt synchronism and megalop size were compared using five feeding treatments: Artemia from zoea I to IV (B0), Brachionus during zoea I and Artemia from zoea II to IV (B1), Brachionus during zoea I and II and Artemia during zoea III and IV (B2), Brachionus from zoea I to III and Artemia during zoea IV (B3) and Brachionus from zoea I to IV (B4). The proportion of larvae that reached the megalop stage was 0.00% in treatment B0, 3.33% in treatment B1, 33.33% in treatment B2, 66.67% in treatment B3 and 76.67% in treatment B4. Larvae fed on rotifers until zoea III or zoea IV stages had a higher survival but no differences were found either in time to reach megalop or in megalop size. This study demonstrates that rotifers are essential for the survival and development of U. pusilla early larval stages but that rotifers can be successfully replaced by Artemia nauplii in the zoea IV stage. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.