Calanoid Copepods, Resting Eggs, and Aquaculture

Abstract

A major bottleneck in the cultivation of many marine fish species for commercial purposes is the lack of a suitable food for the first-first-feeding larval stages. The standard feeds, Artemia and rotifers (Brachionus spp.), are not always effective foods. This could be due to several factors, including size, biochemical composition, and swimming behavior. Studies of wild-caught fish larvae report that calanoid copepod nauplii are an important item in the diet of various fish species. Hence, establishing a protocol for the large-scale cultivation of calanoid copepods would appear to be a fruitful direction for further research. Indeed, a few studies have already been conducted, demonstrating the suitability of species of Acartia and Gladioferens for raising some fish species. In view of the fact that people are trying to cultivate a fairly wide variety of fish species, e.g., small ornamentals to large consumables, from estuarine to open ocean habitats, a single calanoid species, however, may not solve the needs of the aquaculture industry. This paper discusses several of the calanoid copepods, especially in terms of the phenomenon of dormancy, and makes suggestions as to species that hold promise for meeting the needs of aquaculture. Promising species are found in genera including Centropages, Labidocera, Acartia, and Eurytemora.