Reproductive potential of the rotifer, Brachionus rotundiformis Tschugunoff in relation to salinity, feed type and feed concentration

Abstract

The rotifer, Brachionus rotundiformis was isolated from Cochin backwaters, off the Vypeen Island. Pure cultures were developed and experiments were conducted to evaluate the reproductive potential, using different salinities, feed types and feed concentrations as variables. The studies indicated that, these three variables exert significant influence on reproductive potential of this rotifer. For the four different feed types tested, the rmax values were found to decrease in the order, Nannochloropsis oculata Chlorella marina Isochrysis galbana Baker’s yeast. For all the 4 feed types tested, the rmax values were maximum at the highest feed concentrations used in the experiment. The influence of salinity, feed type and feed concentration, individually as well as in combination, on the reproductive potential of the species is presented.