| heal.abstract |
Two experiments were conducted examining the population structure of Brachionus 'Nevada' under feeding conditions commonly applied in hatcheries, using 4-day rotifer batch cultures. In the first experiment two diets were supplied: yeast with Tetraselmis suecica (treatment A) or Culture Selco® with T. suecica (treatment B). The second experiment (treatments C, D, E) differed in the phytoplankton quantity used (20 times higher): treatment C was analogous to A and treatments D and E to B. Initial rotifer density differed among treatments and was about 200 individuals ml-1 in A, C and E, and 60 individuals ml-1 in B and D. Multivariate analysis discriminated A and C from B, D and E. In treatments A and C, a 24-h cycle in ovigerous females, immature individuals and E/F ratio was observed, showing a high reproductive rate. Treatments B, D and E displayed a 48-h cycle in the aforementioned parameters, indicating a lower reproductive rate. The latter treatments had a significantly higher number of females with multiple eggs for most of the samplings, compared to A and C, except for treatment E until 40 h of sampling. Specific growth rate was significantly higher in treatments B and D (Culture Selco® diet) compared to A and C (yeast diet), while treatment E had intermediate rates. Initial rotifer density influenced the abundance of females with multiple eggs, but resulted in slight variations in growth rate and population structure. The type of dry food greatly affected the population structure of rotifers, leading to significant differences in the growth rate. © Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2006. |
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