On a parthenogenetic population of Artemia (Crustacea, Branchiopoda) from Algeria (El-Bahira, Sétif)

The brine shrimp Artemia is a small crustacean of hypersaline lakes which is commonly used in larviculture. The parthenogenetic population of Artemia from El-Bahira Lake (10 ha area), situated in the High Plateaus of Northeastern Algeria (1034 m alt), has been characterized and surveyed during two hydroperiods of 2009 and 2013. Contrary to other known parthenogenetic populations, which develop in hot seasons and reproduce by ovoviviparity, Artemia from El-Bahira was found to develop only in cold seasons (winter and spring), even if the lake doesn’t dry in summer. It reproduces by oviparity and produces few cysts (5.69 ± 3.6 and 98.00 ± 28.32 offsprings/brood). Individual density was much lower during the hydroperiod of 2013, whereas fecundity was higher than in the previous hydroperiod (2009). Cyst reserve was estimated at 133.13 kg of dry weight which corresponds to a rate of 13.31 kg.ha-1