Rearing fish larvae process is needed to supply enough live food. Copepods and their nauplii contain highly unsaturated fatty acids are the most important live food sources for fish larvae. Acartia bilobata is a kind of copepod that has been cultured potentiality as live food for marine fish larvae in aquaculture. However, the techniques for culturing A. bilobata need to be improved in terms of its productivity. The effects of salinities, temperatures and food algae on the growth and production of A. bilobata were investigated.
Four temperature treatments of 22℃, 27℃, 32℃ and 37℃, seven salinity treatments of 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30 and 35 psu, and three microalgae species, Isochrysis galbana, Nannochloropis oculata and Tetraselmis chui were conducted, separately to find the effects on production of A. bilobata. Results showed that the optimum production of A. bilobata was achieved with temperature at 27 ℃, salinity at 15 psu, and fed with microalgae I. galbana.