Hydrobiologia 298: 141-157, 1995.
D. Belk, H. J. Dumont & G. Maier (eds), Studies on Large Branchiopod Biology and Aquaculture I/.
©1995 Kluwer Academic Publishers.
141
Laboratory culture of fairy shrimps using baker's yeast as basic food in a
flow-through system
Alejandro M. Maeda-Martinez l ,2, Hortencia Obreg6n-Barboza l ,2 & Henri J. Dumont l
1 Laboratory of Animal Ecology, University of Ghent, K. L. Ledeganckstraat 35, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium
2 Current address: Centro de Investigaciones Biol6gicas del Noroeste, S.c., Divisi6n Biolog(a Marina, Apdo.
Postal 128, La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico
Key words: Thamnocephalus, Branchinecta, growth, filter-feeders, feeding, clay, silicium
Abstract
We designed and standardized a culture method for freshwater anostracans using diets free of live algae. Thamnocephalus platyurus and Branchinecta lindahli were used as test organisms.
We used baker's yeast as basic food and added inert particles (clay or amorphic silicium dioxide) to improve the
digestion of the yeast. A flow-through culture system was used, according to a fixed feeding schedule, to supply
separately, culture medium (tap water), food, and inert particle suspensions. Three variants with baker's yeast as
basic food, were compared for survival, growth, and reproduction. A diet of solely baker's yeast (diet 1) or baker's
yeast supplemented with vegetal oil containing ,a-carotene (diet 2) was unsuitable for reproduction of T. platyurus.
Cyst production was only achieved when diet 2 was supplemented with fish oil and Spirulina powder (diet 3). This
suggests that not only a digestibility problem, but also nutritional deficiencies are present in baker's yeast.
Introduction
Knowledge of growth and reproduction of freshwater phyllopods is fundamental to use them in aquaculture. Laboratory studies require standardized culture methods, usually based on live algae as food.
The obtention of algae in the quantity and condition
required is, however, laborious and costly, and represents a major constraint for the culture of aquatic
filter-feeders (Coutteau et aI., 1992). Therefore, the
objectives ofthis investigation were to design and standardize a culture method for fairy shrimps using diets
without live algae. We used Thamnocephalus platyurus Packard and Branchinecta lindahli Packard as test
organisms.
Antecedents
Two general methods are used for the culture of fairy
shrimps viz. static and flow-through systems. Although
cultures have been in use since the last century (e.g.
Gissler, 1883), Moore (1957) first described a laboratory static culture system for Streptocephalus sealii
Ryder. The culture medium was a mixture of autoclaved demineralized water and sterile soil extract,
and the diet consisted of yeast. Moore pointed out that
yeast was the best available food, and that monodiets
of Chlamydomonas intermedia or Paramecium multimicronucleatum gave poor results. Prophet (1963a)
utilized Moore's method to study the cyst production
of S. sealii, S. texan us Packard, Branchinecta packardi Pearse (cited as B. lindahli Packard: Belk, pers.
comm.), and Eubranchipus serratus Forbes. Anderson & Hsu (1990), Baqai (1963), Gaudin (1960), and
Meade & Bulkowski-Cummings (1987) also used baker's yeast to culture S. sealii. Sluzheuskaya (1975) cultured S. torvicornis (Waga) with brewer's yeast, and
Sluzheuskaya-Drobysheva (1982) reported a mixture
of baker's yeast and Chlorella as the best diet for the
same species. Coutteau et al. (1992) reported that a
monodiet of baker's yeast gave poor results in culturing
Artemia and Streptocephalus proboscideus (Frauenfeld). Dimentman et al. (1976) investigated the grazing
efficiency of Branchipus shaefferi Fisher, Branchinecta ferox (Milne-Edwards), Streptocephalus torvicornis, Chirocephalus neumanni Hartland-Rowe, and
C. bairdi (Brauer). They concluded that these species
are effective in removing sewage-grown Scenedesmus
obliquus (Turpin). For a study of the postembryon-
D. Belk, H. J. Dumont & G. Maier (eds), Studies on Large Branchiopod Biology and Aquaculture I/.
©1995 Kluwer Academic Publishers.
141
Laboratory culture of fairy shrimps using baker's yeast as basic food in a
flow-through system
Alejandro M. Maeda-Martinez l ,2, Hortencia Obreg6n-Barboza l ,2 & Henri J. Dumont l
1 Laboratory of Animal Ecology, University of Ghent, K. L. Ledeganckstraat 35, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium
2 Current address: Centro de Investigaciones Biol6gicas del Noroeste, S.c., Divisi6n Biolog(a Marina, Apdo.
Postal 128, La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico
Key words: Thamnocephalus, Branchinecta, growth, filter-feeders, feeding, clay, silicium
Abstract
We designed and standardized a culture method for freshwater anostracans using diets free of live algae. Thamnocephalus platyurus and Branchinecta lindahli were used as test organisms.
We used baker's yeast as basic food and added inert particles (clay or amorphic silicium dioxide) to improve the
digestion of the yeast. A flow-through culture system was used, according to a fixed feeding schedule, to supply
separately, culture medium (tap water), food, and inert particle suspensions. Three variants with baker's yeast as
basic food, were compared for survival, growth, and reproduction. A diet of solely baker's yeast (diet 1) or baker's
yeast supplemented with vegetal oil containing ,a-carotene (diet 2) was unsuitable for reproduction of T. platyurus.
Cyst production was only achieved when diet 2 was supplemented with fish oil and Spirulina powder (diet 3). This
suggests that not only a digestibility problem, but also nutritional deficiencies are present in baker's yeast.
Introduction
Knowledge of growth and reproduction of freshwater phyllopods is fundamental to use them in aquaculture. Laboratory studies require standardized culture methods, usually based on live algae as food.
The obtention of algae in the quantity and condition
required is, however, laborious and costly, and represents a major constraint for the culture of aquatic
filter-feeders (Coutteau et aI., 1992). Therefore, the
objectives ofthis investigation were to design and standardize a culture method for fairy shrimps using diets
without live algae. We used Thamnocephalus platyurus Packard and Branchinecta lindahli Packard as test
organisms.
Antecedents
Two general methods are used for the culture of fairy
shrimps viz. static and flow-through systems. Although
cultures have been in use since the last century (e.g.
Gissler, 1883), Moore (1957) first described a laboratory static culture system for Streptocephalus sealii
Ryder. The culture medium was a mixture of autoclaved demineralized water and sterile soil extract,
and the diet consisted of yeast. Moore pointed out that
yeast was the best available food, and that monodiets
of Chlamydomonas intermedia or Paramecium multimicronucleatum gave poor results. Prophet (1963a)
utilized Moore's method to study the cyst production
of S. sealii, S. texan us Packard, Branchinecta packardi Pearse (cited as B. lindahli Packard: Belk, pers.
comm.), and Eubranchipus serratus Forbes. Anderson & Hsu (1990), Baqai (1963), Gaudin (1960), and
Meade & Bulkowski-Cummings (1987) also used baker's yeast to culture S. sealii. Sluzheuskaya (1975) cultured S. torvicornis (Waga) with brewer's yeast, and
Sluzheuskaya-Drobysheva (1982) reported a mixture
of baker's yeast and Chlorella as the best diet for the
same species. Coutteau et al. (1992) reported that a
monodiet of baker's yeast gave poor results in culturing
Artemia and Streptocephalus proboscideus (Frauenfeld). Dimentman et al. (1976) investigated the grazing
efficiency of Branchipus shaefferi Fisher, Branchinecta ferox (Milne-Edwards), Streptocephalus torvicornis, Chirocephalus neumanni Hartland-Rowe, and
C. bairdi (Brauer). They concluded that these species
are effective in removing sewage-grown Scenedesmus
obliquus (Turpin). For a study of the postembryon-