Laboratory production of Daphnia magna (Straus 1820) fed with microalgae and active dry yeast

Abstract

Daphnia magnarncultivation was made using four experimental diets: 1) Chlorella sp., 2)rnHaematococcus sp. 3) Sphaerocystis sp. and 4) a combination ofrnprevious microalgae, at a concentration of 500 x 103 cell mL-1rnand as supplement active dry yeast. Feeding and population count took placernevery third day. Highest population density per liter was found in Chlorellarnsp and combined diet (3,693 and 3,600 org L-1). And the lowestrndensity was found in Sphaerocystis sp. diet with 2,900 org L-1.rnLife tables showed a production of 41 and 43 organisms per female in this dietsrnwhile Haematococcus sp. and Sphaerocystis sp. diets with 35 orgrnper female. Highest growth rate presented in Chlorella sp. diet (0.82)rnand the lowest in combined diet (0.52). Although, it presents a betterrnstability in organism quantity during the whole experiment. The obtainedrnresults allow this cladocerans producer’s take better used diet decisions