Development of Moina minuta (Hansen, 1899) (Cladocera: Anomopoda: Moinidae) under different food sources

Abstract

The aim of this study was to analyze the population growth of the cladoceran Moina minuta using three food sources: Chlorella sp., Saccharomyces cerevisiae and fish broth. The experimental design was completely randomized with 3 treatments and 3 replicates, being the experiment carried out for 12 days M. minuta fed with Chlorella sp. showed maximum population density of 11.27 org. mL-1 on the ninth day of experiment, while the organisms fed with S. cerevisiae and fish broth reached 4.92 and 3.67 org. mL-1 on the eighth and third day of experiment, respectively. Cladocerans fed with Chlorella sp., S. cerevisiae and fish broth showed, respectively, growth velocity of 0.95, 0.44 and 0.28 org. mL-1 day-1, specific growth rate of 0.29, 0.24 and 0.24 day-1, and doubling time of 2.48, 2.94 and 3.20 day-1. It was verified that M. minuta reached high values of the population growth variables, therefore, this species is viable for production on a large scale. Among the three treatments analyzed, the specimens fed on Chlorella sp. showed the best growth variable averages.