Appropriate feeding for early juvenile stages of eunicid polychaete Marphysa sanguinea

Survival rate (SR) and growth rate (GR) were tested with various feed sources to identify an appropriate feed to improve the productivity in the early life stage of the rock worm Marphysa sanguinea (Montagu, 1813) (Eunicidae: Polychaeta). In addition, feed supply rates were also examined. Three experiments were performed to identify the appropriate feed for the juvenile stages of M. sanguinea. Experiment 1 was done using seven different feed sources and without feed as well for the first 20 days of M. sanguinea culture. Decapsulated Artemia and extruded pellet for shrimp were showed with high SR and GR in the experiment 1. Experiment 2 was performed with five different feed sources. Two feeds were selected from experiment 1 in addition to eel feed, mixed micro-algae, and benthic diatom. Four different quantities of each feed were supplied to 3000 individuals of early juvenile stage of M. sanguinea. High quantity of decapsulated Artemia and shrimp feed resulted with a relatively good SR and GR. In experiment 3, we provided 20, 50, and 75 mg of decapsulated Artemia and shrimp feed to 3000 individuals of M. sanguinea. Our results demonstrated that after 3 months, decapsulated Artemia showed high survival rate and 75 mg/3000 inds provided the best quantity of feed in the earlier life stage culture of M. sanguinea.