Effect of different diets on fecundity, development time and body size of freshwater copepod Eucyclops serrulatus

The effect of five different diets consisting of green algae Scenedesmus quadricauda, cereal plant meal (wheat+white+canola+barley), fish food meal, mixed manure powder (chicken manure+cattle manure), and baker's yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) were investigated on fecundity rate, larval development time and body length in freshwater copepod Eucyclops serrulatus. A complete randomized design was employed using an individual gravid female in 50ml vials at 26ºC water temperature. The maximum fecundity was obtained in copepods fed on fish diet (18.6±1.08, eggs /female; mean±SD) followed in order by baker's yeast (17.3±3.19), cereal plant meal (13±2.45), Scenedesmus (9.3±0.41), and mixed manure powder (8.6±0.82). The larval developmental time of copepod E. serrulatus was significantly different in copepods fed on examined diets. The mean shortest naupliar time (8.3±0.81 days) and copepodit time (1.0±0.70 days) were observed in copepods fed on fish food meal with a significant difference compared to other examined treatments. In addition, length and width of naupliar, copepodit, and adult of copepod E. serrulatus increased when copepods fed on fish diet and baker's yeast.