The effect of different diets on production and population specific growth rate of the freshwater Cladoceran Ceriodaphnia quadrangula (Muller, 1785)

In this study, effects of five different diets including green algae, Scenedesmus quadricauda, mixture of S. quadricauda and baker's yeast, cattle manure, poultry manure, mixture manure (cattle + poultry, 1:1 ratio in weight) were examined on density, specific growth rate and doubling time of freshwater Cladoceran, Ceriodaphnia quadrangula population, at two high and low levels of food density with three replications. The results showed that the maximum population density (184 individuals/50ml), maximum specific growth rate (SGR) (0.18/day) and minimum doubling time (Dt) (3.85 days) were obtained when C. quadrangula fed with S. quadricauda at high density (50×104 cell/ml). In addition, the minimum population density (7.3 ind/50 ml), minimum SGR (0.019 /day), and maximum Dt (36.2 days) resulted from C. quadrangula fed on cattle manure at low diet density (5mg). In this research, maximum (800±34.6μm) (Mean ±SE) and minimum (521±31.6μm) body length of C. quadrangula measured when fed with cattle manure at low diet density and S. quadricauda at high diet density, respectively. In conclusion, the results of current study illustrated that S. quadricauda as diet gave better performance for rearing of C. quadrangula compared to other diet treatments.