Growth performance and nutritional profile of a cyclopoid copepod Oithona similis isolated from Kochi, south west coast of India

A series of experiments of each 25 days were conducted to evaluate the suitability of four microalgal diets for the culture of the tropical cyclopoid copepod Oithona similis. The mono-algal diets were Chaetoceros calcitrans, Isochrysis galbana, Chlorella marina and Nannochloropsis oculata. Present work was carried out in a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with four treatments and three replicates. After feeding O. similis with the 4 algal diets for 25 days, population density of adults, copepodites, nauplii and egg bearers were determined. Density and population growth rate of all stages were the maximum when fed with C. calcitrans and it was confirmed as an excellent diet for O. similis. Growth performance as indicated by population density and growth rate was significantly (P