Intensive cultivation of a calanoid copepod for live food in fish culture
Project number:
1996-398
Project Status:
Completed
Budget expenditure:
$99,394.00
Principal Investigator:
Rob Rippingale
Organisation:
Curtin University
1. To determine the most effective procedures for increasing the scale of intensive production of Gladioferens imparipes to enable reliable supply of animals with minimum labour and maximum automation. It remains to assess the relative advantages of replication or increasing the volume of culture units.
2. To assess the relative nutritional value of G. imparipes and other live food animals as food for various species of marine fish larvae through survival and growth trials of fish on different diets. This is to involve fish which are currently cultivated and other species for which eggs or larvae can be obtained.
3. To determine the diet of copepods which will provide a biochemical profile in the copepods which best serves the nutritional requirements of larval fish.
4. To undertake a cost/benefit analysis of cultivated copepods in fish aquaculture
5. To produce a detailed manual of procedures for intensive cultivation of G. imparipes. for distribution by sale to commercial hatcheries within Australia.
Final report
ISBN:
1-74067-069-8
Author:
R.J. Rippingale
M.F. Payne
Final Report
•
2001-06-20
•
3.32 MB
1996-398-DLD.pdf
The aim of this study was to develop a system for the cultivation of a calanoid copepod which occurs in estuaries in the southwest of Western Australia. This copepod, Gladioferens imparipes, seemed suitable for use in marine fish aquaculture; it can tolerate a wide salinity range, including sea water, has planktonic nauplius larvae and is sufficiently robust to grow well in cultivation. The objectives of the study were to develop a scale of culture which would be realistic for use in aquaculture, develop a system to automate routine procedures in the copepod culture to minimise labour and to investigate the effectiveness of using copepod nauplii from intensive cultures to enhance the survival, health and growth of fish larvae. A final objective was to provide a manual of operations to assist people to develop, maintain and use cultures of G. imparipes for use in aquaculture. This manual is available as a separate appendix to this report.
