Effects of Microalgae and Salinity on the Growth of Three Types of the Rotifer Brachionus plicatilis

We investigated the effects of salinity and three food species of microalgae on the growth of three types of the rotifer Brachionus plicatilis, with the aim of improving mass culture of rotifers in hatcheries. Three types (large, small, and ultra-small) of the rotifer were cultured at 16 ppt and 32 ppt salinity with the green algae Chlorella ellipsoidea, Nannochloris oculata, or Tetraselmis tetrathele. The maximum density and specific growth rate were compared for each rotifer type. Ultra-small rotifers grew significantly faster at 16 ppt salinity than at 32 ppt, and C. ellipsoidea and T. tetrathele promoted significantly higher growth than did N. oculata. However, small rotifers grew significantly better at 32 ppt salinity than at 16 ppt, and small rotifers fed on N. oculata achieved the highest density at 1,185 individuals/ml. Large rotifers grew faster at 16 ppt salinity than at 32 ppt, with a diet of T. tetrathele resulting in the fastest growth. Each type of rotifer thrived under different regimens of microalgae and salinity.