LIVE FEEDS
Do we have a viable solution for replacing rotifers and Artemia? Nils Tokle, Planktonic
Figure 1. Nauplius of Semibalanus balanoides.
Live preys are a necessity for the larviculture of most marine fish species and have until recently been restricted to rotifers and Artemia. None of these live preys perfectly meet the nutritional requirements of marine larvae. However, it is well-known that these requirements are met by natural zooplankton.
CryoPlankton Crustacean barnacle nauplii, in their planktonic state, form a part of the diet for marine larvae in their natural habitat. The Norwegian company Planktonic has developed CryoPlankton, a live feed whereby eggs are extracted from adult barnacles and subsequently cryopreserved. The live feed is stored in dewars with liquid nitrogen and easily transported to end-users. Hatchery staff can prepare live feed at any time with
Hatchery Feed & Management Vol 9 Issue 2 2021
just minutes of preparation and are therefore not dependent on time-consuming and costly cultures of rotifers/Artemia. There are two types of CryoPlankton: Small - replacing rotifers and Large - replacing Artemia. Importantly, there is no need for any kind of enrichment before being fed to the larvae. CryoPlankton is naturally rich in the phospholipid forms of essential marine fatty acids DHA/EPA and their nutritional profile is equal to that of other marine copepods.
Proven in commercial aquaculture Finfish All major producers of ballan wrasse in Norway and UK are using CryoPlankton and this is the most important reason that it is now possible to cultivate this species