Partial replacement of Artemia sp. by the brackishwater cladoceran, Diaphanosoma celebensis (Stingelin), in the larval rearing of sea bass, Lates calcarifer (Bloch)

A feed experiment was conducted to test the brackishwater cladoceran, Diaphanosoma celebensis, as a partial or complete substitute for Artemia in the larval rearing of the sea bass, Lates calcarifer. The cladoceran was fed either alone or in combination with Artemia to 15-day old sea bass larvae (5.6 mm SL, 2.7 mg wet BW) reared at 15 ppt salinity. Groups fed Artemia alone were reared at 15 and 32 ppt salinity levels. After 15 days of rearing, the survival (95-99%), observed mortality (0.8-1.2%) and apparent loss due to cannibalism (0.2-4.1%) did not differ significantly among treatments. The specific growth rates of fish fed only Artemia (18.7-19.1%/day) and combined Artemia+Diaphanosoma (18.7%/day) were significantly higher than that of fish fed only Diaphanosoma (16.3%/day). Diaphanosoma had higher crude protein and crude fat contents than Artemia but the percentage of n-3 highly unsaturated fatty acids, particularly 20:5n3 and 22:6n3, was lower than in Artermia. Results indicated the potential of Diaphanosoma as a partial substitute for Artemia in the larval rearing of sea bass at 15 ppt salinity.