Diet-induced variations in fatty acid content and composition of two on-grown stages of Artemia salina

Three species of microalgae, the freshwater Euglena gracilis and the marine Dunaliella salina and Tetraselmis suecica, were fed to the brine shrimp Artemia salina in order to compare their suitability in terms of fatty acid enrichment, and their effect on the biometric parameters of the zooplankter. The fatty acid content and composition were analyzed for the post-larval and pre-adult stages of Artemia fed the algae and the results compared to the initial content of unfed 24-hour post-hatch nauplii. Differences in the total fatty acid content occurred between the three stages, the fatty acid profile being determined by the composition of the diet. A decreasing trend for almost all the individual fatty acids occurred through development from post-larva to pre-adult with each of the three algal diets. Biometrical differences between Artemia fed the marine algae and that fed Euglena were not consistent in the post-larval stage, but became considerable in the pre-adult stage. Artemia fed with Euglena achieved twice the weight of animals fed the marine algae and showed the highest length. The implications for the use of on-grown Artemia as a feed in larviculture of marine and freshwater fish and crustaceans are considered.