Augmentation of Apocyclops royi Mass Production Using Live and Preserved Chloroidium saccharophilum for Marine Finfish Hatcheries

This study aimed to explore sustainable feeding practices for the mass production of Apocyclops royi using Chloroidium saccharophilum in live, frozen, and lyophilized forms, combined with different feeding strategies. A. royi, collected from the Kovalam coastal area, was taxonomically identified. C. saccharophilum was cultured in Conway medium and processed into live, lyophilized, and frozen forms. Five experimental groups were established: Group 1 (A-CLi) fed live C. saccharophilum, Group 2 (A-CF) fed frozen C. saccharophilum, Group 3 (A-CLy) fed lyophilized C. saccharophilum, Group 4 (A-C-LFL) fed a mixed diet of all three forms, and Group 5 (A-C-LFLY) fed a mixed diet with yeast. The indoor mass production of A. royi was conducted under optimized conditions, and population density was monitored. Results showed that mixed diets (A-C-LFL and A-C-LFLY) significantly enhanced survival, growth, and reproduction. The fatty acid composition of A. royi was dominated by PUFAs, including EPA and DHA with C. saccharophilum combination diets. The amino acid profile revealed high levels of essential amino acids like Glutamine, Aspartic acid, and Leucine. This study demonstrates that mixed diets (A-C-LFLY) improve A. royi productivity, supporting year-round copepod culture and offering a sustainable solution for live feed production in marine aquaculture.