Study on population growth and production of cyclopoid copepod Acanthocyclops trajani fed on different diets

In this study the effects of different algal and nonalgal diets on density and population growth rate of cyclopoid copepod Acanthocyclops trajani were studied. To this intention, the copepod were mass cultured in 120 liter tanks by feeding on different diets (5 treatments, 3 replicate in each one) including fresh composition of microalgae: Scenedesmus obliquus and Spirulina maxima (LSS), dried compound of mentioned microalgae (1:1)(DSS), dried macroalgae Gracilaria corticata (DG), dried composition of vegetables(DV) (spinage, parsley and coriander) and slurry liquid manure(S) and the population density (nauplius, copepodid and adult) were studied by population (every 3 days during 1 month) sampling. The results indicated that the highest population density average (1445±298 ind/L), the highest growth rate (0/145/d) and the shortest population doubling time (4/76d) were obtained from dried microalgae complex diet which was significantly different from most of diets (p<0/05). On the basis of the results, there is the potential of the usage of dried microalgae to improve the culture density of the copepod during shortage or descending time of fresh microalgae.