Cyst quality and hatching in parthenogenetic brine shrimp, Artemia

Abstract

Data on cyst size, naupliar size, biochemical constituents (carbohydrate, protein and lipid) and hatching characteristics (in relation to temperature, salinity, different glycerol concentrations and antibiotics) of <i>Artemia</i> collected from Balamba, Saurashtra Coast are presented. Maximum hatching occurs at 30ᵒC both at 5 and 35 x 10^-3 salinities. Cyst viability can be increased using antibiotics which suppress associated bacterial growth. Low concentrations of glycerol (0.5 and 0.75 mol.l^-1) enhance the percentage of hatching of the cysts. On the basis of naupliar size, low ash content and high protein content it can be suggested that this strain is likely to be preferred by predators.