Journal of the Marine Biological Association of India

Hatchability of the first cysts of Artemia produced in salt-pans in Bangladesh

Volume 34 Issue 1&2

M. E. Paranthaman, Naylor and N. Mahmood

Abstract

Hatchability was investigated in Bangladesh-produced cysts of Artemia, the first such cysts to be produced in salt-pans in that country, using imported stock from Great Salt Lake (USA). Optimal hatching conditions of 25°C temperature, 25 ppt salinity and0.14 x 10¹⁶ quanta/sec/cm² light intensity were defined. The maximum hatch achieved in the Bangladesh material by this means was 39%, compared with 70% in control cysts imported directly from the USA.

Since the Bangladesh material, unlike the USA cysts, may not have experienced low environmental temperatures during diapause, further experiments involving chilling were carried out. The USA cysts hatching rate was not increased by this means, but the Bangladesh material hatching rate was increased to nearly 60%. The production in preliminary trials of Artemia cysts with a potential hatching rate not much lower than that of the parent stock, gives encouragement for further development of Artemia culture in Bangladesh.

Date : 31-10-1992