Quality evaluation of brine shrimp <i>Artemia</i> cysts produced in Asian salt ponds

Artemia cysts produced in inoculated salt ponds in the Philippines, Thailand and India, were analyzed in comparison with the parental strains used for the inoculations. Cyst hatching efficiency, hatching rate and color changed significantly after inoculation, whereas the cyst's diameters, nauplius survival and nauplius growth remained fairly constant. The nutritional value of the Artemia nauplii was determined in a standard culture test with Mysidopsis bahia juveniles as test animals. Production results were compared with the fatty acid profiles of the Artemia nauplii. Low levels of the essential fatty acid 20:5omega3 in one of the produced cyst batches were probably caused by inadequate food conditions in the pond and resulted in poorer growth of the Mysidopsis juveniles. Based on the results of this study a distinction is made between essential and nonessential strain selection-criteria for Artemia inoculations and transplantations