Total lipids content and fatty acids composition of the rotifer Brachionus plicatilis using artificial enrichme nts.

Abstract

Secondary feeding with commercial lipids enrichments such as the microencapsulated diets Diet A (33.42±3.00%) and Diet B (55.88±3.5%) compared with the marine yeast type product Diet C(8.59±1.0%) as a method of increasing the total lipids and ?-3 PUFA content of rotifers, hence enhancing their nutritional value as live feed prey for fish larvae in hatcheries. The total lipids the rotifers was affected analogous to the levels of these components in the feeds showing its maximum percentage uptake within 4 hours from the enrichment (20.27±3.52, 26.64±3.91, 11.31±2.30 respectively). There was not any significant toxicity to the animals due to the diets during the 16 hours experiment. The DHA/EPA for Diet A(1.31), Diet B(0.42) and Diet C(absent) as well as the DHA/EPA/ ARA ratios for Diet A(10.70 ± 1.60 / 8.18 ± 1.10 / 2.08 ± 0.20), Diet B(6.20 ± 2.30 / 14.60 ±1.00 / 1.12 ± 0.40) and Diet C (0 / 5.14 ± 3.40 / 1.30 ± 1.10) indicates that Diet A is closer to the suggested DHA/EPA/ARA optimal value 10/5/1 for marine fish larval growth.