ARE COPEPODS VIABLE OPTIONS AS LIVE FOOD IN AQUACULTURE HATCHERIES?
Abstract: This present paper
overviews the use of copepods in aquaculture. Some culture methods and
nutritional values also described to decide whether copepods are viable and
reliable to be used as live food in aquaculture hatcheries. Copepods have been
known to have higher nutritional value than Artemia and rotifers. In
aquaculture, they have been used to fed various species of marine finfish with
better results in terms of growth, larval survival and pigmentation compared to
some fish larvae fed on other live feeds. However, culturing copepods in
intensive systems to harvest high number of copepods is not well established
yet due to lack of funding and knowledge. Meanwhile extensive and semi
intensive systems are possible to transfer parasites and diseases from wild
environment. Furthermore, nutritional value can not be controlled in such
systems.
Keywords: copepods;
aquaculture; fish larvae
Author: Wa Iba, Hatim Albasri
Journal Code: jpperikanangg090024