Reproductive characteristics and Cyst production of Phallocryptusspinosa in the laboratory conditions

ABSTRACT: Success in aquaculture is based on various criteria and the selection of a suitable feed and its potential use is important. The possibility of using fairy shrimps as diet in aquaculture has not been explored widely. Among the live diets used in the aquaculture, fairy shrimps have the potential to be used as a feed item for fishes such as ornamental fishes that benefit from live food. Also, their cysts and nauplii are useful in larval culture, mainly due to their convenience and availability. Phallocryptusspinosa belong to the anostracans, is a common inhabitant in seasonal water catchments in Northwest of Iran. In this study reproductive characteristics and cyst production of Phallocryptusspinosa studied at different temperatures in the lab. Twenty replicates of 20 pairs of adult Anostraca (20 female and 20 male) were treated in temperature of 15, 20, 25 and 30°C. The Anostracans were fed with unicellular algae Dunaliellatertiolecta and Lansy PZ. Anostracans never reached to reproductive at 15 and 30°C. Also we observed higher cyst production at 20°C, compared to that at 25°C (P < 0.05).