Evaluation of Two Novel Feeding Protocols Utilizing Alive and Dried Chlorella vulgaris to Grow Heterocypris salina (Ostracoda: Crustacea)

Heterocyprissalinais well-known for its high egg production and it can adaptto livein different environments. However, the data on H.salina culturing are still scarce, so it is necessary to study the best environmental conditions and food items to culture ostracod species. The current study was carried out to generate baseline information on the food and feeding protocols of H. salina by evaluating living and dried Chlorella vulgaris as a food source for this species .Gravid females of H.salina with the same length and age were separated to start the experiment, which divided into two treatments based on alive and dried Chlorella vulgaris. The current study concluded that, the alive and dried C. vulgaris is a suitable diet for H. salina because it led to enhance its growth rate, increasing its individual number and shortened the time to reach adulthood.

Keywords: Heterocyprissalina- Freshwater ostracods- zooplankton Culturing - live food for fish.