Hong, G.K., J. Kuo & K.S. Tew. (2023). Iron Fertilization Can Enhance the Mass Production of Copepod, Pseudodiaptomus annandalei, for Fish Aquaculture. Life-Basel. 13(2):1-14. Feb 2023.

448440

10.3390/life13020529 [view]

Hong, G.K., J. Kuo & K.S. Tew

2023

13(2):1-14. Feb 2023

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Available for editors   [request]

Copepods are proven nutritious food sources for the mariculture/larviculture industry, however, unreliable methods for mass production of copepods are a major bottleneck. In this study, we modified a previously reported inorganic fertilization method (N: 700 mu g L-1 and P: 100 mu g L-1) by the addition of iron (Fe: 10 mu g L-1, using FeSO4 center dot 7H(2)O) (+Fe treatment) and compared its suitability for copepod culture (Pseudodiaptomus annandalei) to the original method (control). The experiment was conducted outdoors in 1000 L tanks for 15 days. The addition of iron prolonged the growth phase of the phytoplankton and resulted in the production of significantly more small phytoplankton (0.45-20 mu m, average 2.01 +/- 0.52 vs. 9.03 +/- 4.17 mu g L-1 in control and +Fe, respectively) and adult copepods (control: 195 +/- 35, +Fe: 431 +/- 109 ind L-1), whereas copepodid-stage was similar between treatments (control: 511 +/- 107 vs. +Fe: 502 +/- 68 ind L-1). Although adding iron increased the cost of production by 23% compared to the control, the estimated net profit was 97% greater. We concluded that inorganic fertilization, with the addition of iron (Fe: 10 mu g L-1), could be an effective method for the mass production of copepods for larviculture.

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