Culture of freshwater copepod Eucyclops serrulatus using algal and non-algal diets under laboratory conditions

Copepods as crustacean zooplankton are suitable preys for feeding of fish larvae. In the present research، effect of five different diets consist of green algae Scenedesmus quadricauda، cereal plant meal (rice+white+canola+barley)، fish food meal، mixed manure powder (chicken manure+cattle manure)، and baker''s yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) were investigated on production، growth، and body length in freshwater copepod Eucyclops serrulatus. Results showed that mean nauplii production of 48. 8±4. 7 (±SE)، 28. 4±2. 35، 17. 7±2. 10، 15. 9±1. 80، and 2. 6±1. 80 ind. /female and mean copepodit production of 37. 3±4. 9، 29. 3±1. 80، 18. 6±3. 20، 7. 1±1. 00، and 5. 3±1. 80 ind. /female were obtained fed on fish food meal، baker''s yeast، cereal plant meal، algae Scenedesmus and mixed manure powder، respectively. Fish food meal was most suitable diet for copepod E. serrulatus culture because had highest total copepod production (nauplii+copepodits+adults) (101. 3±3. 7 ind. /female or 2533. 0±94. 2 ind. /L)، specific growth rate (0. 15 /day)، shortest doubling time of population (4. 6 days)، and highest body size (691. 8 μm in length and 298. 2 μm in width). Overall، results of present study based on production، growth، and body length illustrated that E. serrulatus has suitable potential culture on algal and non-algal diets، but the better performance obtain on non-algal diets.