The life history parameters of Diaphanosoma excisum (Cladocera), culturing media
grown in different
B. B. Jana & G. P. Pal Department
of Zoology,
Fisheries
and Limnology
Keywords: life history, Diaphanosoma,
Laboratory,
University
of Kalyani,
Cladocera, organic manure, zooplankton
Kalyani
74123.5, India
culture
Abstract Life history parameters of Diaphanosoma excisum (SARS) were derived from culture tube experiments with media comprising mohua oil cake, mustard oil cake, cow dung and rice bran. Body length, longevity, fecundity and progeny production were highest in rice bran medium. First reproduction time (A) in different media ranged from 2 to 6 days, while the reproduction peak(T) varied from4 to 13 days. The total offspring per female(S) was directly dependent upon the mean number of eggs per female per life span. The intrinsic(r) and finite rates (er) of natural increase were larger for rice bran than for other media.
Introduction
Materials and methods
Interest in the mass culture of zooplankton has recently increased because of their possible use in fish production. Alikunhi (1952), Alikunhi & Ramachandran (1955) and Mitra & Mahapatra (1956) have studied the importance of zooplankton in nursery ponds in India. A number of trials have been made in India to rear cladocerans and rotifers using organic manures (Nandy et al., 1977a, 1977b; Bhanot & Vass, 1976). A procedure for production of Moina sp. using the sac-method of fertilization has been developed by Ventura & Enderez (1980). Recently, Jana & Pal (1983 and in press) have determined the reproductive potentials of certain cladocerans in different organic media. Nonetheless, information on the life table data of tropical zooplankters is extremely meagre. The purpose of this investigation was to determine the life history parameters of Diaphanosoma excisum grown in various culturing media of organic manures.
Experiments to culture Diaphanosoma excisum (SARS) were carried out in organic media comprising mohua (Madhuca indica) oil cake, mustard (Brassica juncia) oil cake, cow dung and rice bran. Since the quality of these organic manures is likely to vary depending upon the source, they were defined in terms of their organic C and nitrogen contents (Table 1). Organic manures were obtained in dried form from local sources; micronised rice bran, an agro-industrial residue with little commercial value, was used in this study. The culture medium was prepared by adding organic manure to tap water in outdoor tanks (300 1 capacity) to a final concentration shown in Table 1. At least fourteen days elapsed prior to the start of experiment (September 1981); complete recycling of manure was found within this period. Filtered pond water served as control. Culture tubes (60 ml; 16 cm X 2.5 cm) were filled with manured water and then inoculated with neonates (first instar young) of Diaphanosoma in two inoculum densities (three and five). Each set of experiments was carried out in quadruplicate, and the arithmetic mean was used for data analysis.
Hydrobiologia 118, 2055212 (1984). 0 Dr W. Junk Publishers. Dordrecht.
Printed in the Netherlands.
206 Table I. Summary of experimental conditions. Parameters
Rice bran
Mohua oil cake
Total N (% of dry matter) Organic C (% of dry matter) C:N ratio Dosage of manure (mg l-t)
1.44 32.16 23.0 1 080
2.43 34.89 14.50 740
Temperature (“C) PH Pod-P (mg I-t) Total N (mg 1-t) Organic C (mg 1-t) C:N ratio Phytoplankton (No. 1-t) Zooplankton (No. I-1) Heterotrophic bacteria x 103 ml-1
23 -30 8.0 - 8.3 0.08- 0.10 91.4 222.7 2.43 2 700 88.5 79.5
5.29 34.89 6.60 980
23 -30 7.8 - 8.0 0.15- 0.75 96.7 209.5 2.16 4287 225 236.8
The tubes containing young Diaphanosoma were kept mouth open in the laboratory (29-32 “C) under well ventilated and normal light conditions. The open mouth of culture tube in other set was wrapped with a piece of bolting cloth and dipped into medium containing outdoor tank. The chemical and biological characteristics of these outdoor tanks are summarized in Table 1. The animals in the culture tube were examined every day to record mean length, state of maturity, fecundity and progeny production. * Estimates of life history parameters, A (first reproduction time), W (longevity), S (total female offspring born to a female in life time), T (the age at which reproduction peaks) were derived from culture tube experiments under field and laboratory conditions following the procedures described by Allan (1976). The net reproductive rate (R,) was determined as: R, = C lxmx where 1, is the probability of surviving to age x and m, is the number of offspring per female between ages x + 1. The average generation time (T,) is defined as: T, = Cx. lxmx (Z lXmX)-l.
Mustard oil cake
23 -30 8.1 8.4 0.14- 0.35 110 209.0 1.9 8 500 312 510.3
Cow dung, urea & Phosphate mixture 2.21 24.91 11.60 Cow dung - 695 Urea 65 Phosphate - 43 23 -30 8.4 - 8.8 0.14- 0.95 107.4 221.3 2.06 13 000 277 77
Filtered pond water
23 -30 8.3 8.7 0.03- 0.04 88.5 95.0 2.20 7 900 75 7.3
The instantaneous coefficient of population growth ‘r’ was obtained from the combined life table data according to Lewontin (1965):
Results Body growth Variations in mean body length and daily rates of growth of Diaphanosoma excisum are graphically presented in Fig. 1. Although the mean body length of Diaphanosoma did not differ (F,,, = 3.6; P > 0.05) from one medium to another till day 5 of inoculation, there was a significant difference in mean length between these variants on days 8, 13 and 14 under field and on day 10 in laboratory conditions. The results of one way variance analysis was significant (P < 0.05) in these days. On an average, the body length was largest in rice bran medium (1.83 mm) which was about 12% higher than the control. Similarly, longevity of Diaphanosoma was maximum in rice bran (22 days), while a relatively shorter life span (6 days) was encountered in both cow dung medium and control.
207
.” MOHUA
0,L
CAKE
MUSTARD
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01,.
CAKE
5 D
A
Y
s
RICE
10 --
16
1
5 -
10 A
D
BRAN
16 Y
22
S
Fig, l(a). Growth rates of Diaphanosoma excisum in different culturing media under field conditions.
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1.5 -
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0.5 I 1
1 2
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1 4
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10
, 12
DAYS
Fig. I(b). Growth rates of Diaphanosoma excisum in different culturing media under laboratory conditions.
6-
A-control FIELD
LABORATORV
c-
3-
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5
6
13
18
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10
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DAYS
S
Fig. 2. Temporal variations in the egg and young production in different media under laboratory and field conditions.
AI-
FIELD
I
LABORATORY
A -FECUNDITY
MUSTARD
B-COW C-RICE
OIL
CAKE
DUNG BRAN
D-MOHUA
OIL
CAKE
E -CONTROL
B
C
0
E
A -
B
C
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--BIRTH-
Fig. 3. Average daily production of eggs and youngs per female in different media under field and laboratory conditions.
209
POND WATER
T
,AI
6 Cow
5
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7 dung
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I 4
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11,
a
AGE
IN
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7
21
AGE
D A YS (X)
I
IN
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DAYS
(X)
Fig 4(a). Relationship between the fecundity and life span of Diuphanosoma in different media in the field.
-AGE
IN
DAYS
(Xl
-
-AGE
IN
DAYS
(X
I-
Fig. 4(b). Relationship between the fecundity and life span of Diaphonosoma in different media in the laboratory.
210 Egg production
triangular shape. Both net reproductive rate (R,) and average generation time (T,) were essentially higher in all experimental media maintained in the field than in the laboratory, apparently due to some physically stressed environment in the latter (Jana & Pal, 1983). In the former, the net reproductive rate obtained in rice bran (15.4) was 7 600% higher than in the control. The average generation time (T,) did not differ between mustard oil cake (11.8) and rice bran medium (11.7). These values were significantly higher than the values found in any other medium in outdoor tanks. In the laboratory, the average generation time found in rice bran medium (8.1) was not much different from mohua oil cake (8.8) which showed the highest value of all. The life history parameters A, W, T, S of Diaphanosoma excisum are shown in Table 2. The time of first reproduction (A) ranged from 2 to 6 days. The longevity (W) was considerably higher in the field (23-30 “C) than was in the laboratory (29-32 “C). Ltveque & Saint-Jean (1983) found in Diaphanosoma excisum that the duration of life cycle from egg was 110.9 h at 25 “C and 78.1 at 30 “C. The production of total offspring per female in her life time(S) was strongly dependent (r = 0.75; P < 0.01) upon the mean number of eggs per female per life span. The reproductive peak(T) varied from day 4 to 13 depending upon the medium used.
The generation of eggs was highly variable in numbers in different dates depending upon the state of maturity of Diaphanosoma (Fig. 2). The maximum production of eggs per female per day ranged from 1 .O to 3.5 and from 1 .O to 8.0 in laboratory and field, respectively. The average production of eggs per female per day in their reproductive span of life has been graphically compared in Fig. 3. Diaphanosoma grown in rice bran was more fecund than in any other medium tested. Egg production in the former was about 273 and 40% higher over control under field and laboratory, respectively. Offspring production Similar to egg production, the progeny production varied largely in different phases of life span of the test animal (Fig. 2). The progeny production in all outdoor tanks except cow dung and control showed two peaks; the first occurring from days 6 to 12 and the second between days 13 and 20 of inoculation. Diaphanosoma reared in the laboratory, on the other hand, showed a single peak of progeny production. The daily mean of progeny production (Fig. 3) was distinctly higher in rice bran‘than in other manures, both in laboratory and field. Life table data
Discussion
Survivorship and fecundity of Diaphanosoma excisum were combined in the survivorship-fecundity function in Fig. 4 which showed a curve of
It is evident from this study that rice bran medium containing relatively higher amount of organic C (222.7 mg I-‘) and total N (91.4 mg ll’) was more
Tub/e 2. Estimated life history parameters of Diaphanosoma excisum. Media
Rice bran Mohua oil cake Mustard oil cake Cow dung mixture Pond water
A Egg - Egg (days)
W Longevity (days)
S Total offspring/ 9 life time
Field
Lab.
Field
Lab.
Field
Lab.
3
5
22
12
44.4
8.1
4
6
14
IO
14.8
5
5
16
IO
2 4
3 4
6 6
6 10
T Reproduction peak (days)
r Intrinsic rate
er Finite rate
Field
Lab.
Field
Lab.
Field
Lab.
8
8
0.465
0.27
1.592
I .309
1.2
12
6
0.282
0.295
I .326
1.343
19.1
3.9
13
8
0.279
0.195
1.321
1.215
3.9 1
1.6 5.3
4 4
4 8
0.217
0.251 0.19
1.243 _
I .285 I .20
211 effective for increased production of Diaphanosoma excisum since all parameters of body length, longevity, brood size, progeny production, intrinsic and finite rates of natural increase were larger for rice bran than for other media. The highest values of C/N ratio in rice bran of both prepared aquatic medium (2.43) and dry manure (23.0) was perhaps the most important attribute for such a wide difference in life table data. The efficacy of rice bran medium has already been proved for mass culture of Daphnia magna (DePauw et al., 198 1) and Artemia (Sorgeloos et al., 1980). In small scale batch experiments with Duphnia magna (culture volume 8 1) population densities of 10,000 and more animals per litre were obtained within 6 weeks (DePauw et al., 1981). According to them, the conversion ratio from rice bran to Daphnia biomass (wet weight) was between 2 and 1 to 1 depending upon the cultivation method. Several initial attempts, during the period of investigation, to raise Diuphanosoma in medium of poultry waste in doses well tolerable to Moina and Daphnia (Jana & Pal, 1983 and in press) were not successful. This implied differences in the nutritional requirements among these three species of cladocerans. As would be anticipated, total egg production of Diaphanosoma was strongly dependent upon the number of reproductive days (r = 0.78; P < 0.01). Gras & Saint-Jean (1978) observed that the ratio NE/N, (number of embryos/ number of adults) and the relative duration of the embryonic stage (Dz = Dj/ D,) approximately define the fecundity of the cladocerans. Survivorship and fecundity data were combined in the survivorship fecundity function lxmx for different media in Fig. 4, which showed a curve of triangular shape. Similar triangular curves were also obtained for Duphniapulex(Allan, 1976) and Daphnia carinata (Jana & Pal, 1983). In a stable population with an exponential survival curve for the embryos and the free individuals, birth rate is expressed as a function of the ratio NE/N, and the relative duration of the juvenile stage (Gras & Saint-Jean, 1978). The highest intrinsic rate of natural increase(r) in Diaphanosoma in the present study was found to be 0.465 day-i for rice bran which was more than two times higher than the rate for Daphnia carinata (0.213 day I) grown in cow dung medium (Jana & Pal, 1983). The observed growth rate in Diaphano-
soma excisum in rice bran medium was found to be closely similar to the growth rate (0.44 day-‘) for Daphnia magna grown in an unlimited food supply (Smith, 1963). Acknowledgements This investigation was financed by the University Grants Commission, New Delhi by award of Teachers’ Fellowship to GPP. References Allan, J. D., 1976. Life history patterns in zooplankton. Am. Nat. 110: 165-180. Alikunhi, K. H., 1952. On the food of young carp fry. J. zool. Sot. India 4: 77-84. Alikunhi, K. H. & V. Ramachandran, 1955. On the mortality of carp fry in nursery ponds and the role of plankton in their survival and growth. Indian J. Fish. 2: 257-284. Bhanot, K. K. & K. K. Vass, 1976. Mass rearing of Daphnia carina/a King in the field. J. Inl. Fish. Sot. India 8: 1455152. DePauw, N., P. Laureys & J. Morales, 198 I. Mass cultivation of Daphnia magna Straus on rice bran. Aquaculture 25: 141L152. Gras, R. & L. Saint-Jean, 1978. Birth rate and relationship between the parameters of growth and abundance in stable age structure population: Cladocera with parthenogenetic reproduction. Cah. ORSTOM Ser. Hydrobiol. 12: 19-24. Jana, B. B. & G. P. Pal, 1983. Some life history parameters and production of Daphnia cat-inn/a (King) grown in different culturing media. Wat. Res. 17: 735.-741, Jana, B. B. & G. P. Pal (in press). Relative growth and egg production in Moina micrura Kurz. (Cladocera:Moinidae) under different culturing media. Proc. Sil. Jub. Symp. Trop. Ecol. Jana, B. B. & G. P. Pal (in press). Relative growth and egg production in Daphnia carinata (King) under different culturing media. Limnologica (Berlin). Leveque, C. & L. Saint-Jean, 1983. Secondary production (Zooplankton and benthos). In: J. P. Carmouze, T. R. Durand & C. Ltvtque (eds.), Lake Chad. Ecology and Productivity of a Shallow Tropical Ecosystem. Monogr. Biol. 53, Junk, The Hague. Lewontin, R. C.. 1965. Selectionforcolonizingability. In: H. G. Baker & G. L. Stebbins (eds.), Genetics of Colonizing Species. Academic Press, N.Y. Mitra, C. N. & P. Mohapatra, 1956. On the role of zooplankton in the nutrition of carp fry. Indian J. Fish. 3: 299-310. Nandy, A. C., S. K. Majumder & R. K. Chakravarty, 1977a. Experiments on the mass culture of Brarhionus mderi Pallas in glass aquaria. Proc. Symp. Warm Water Zoopl. Spl. Publ. UNESCO:NlO, 1977, pp. 5388539. Nandy, A. C., P. R. Das & S. K. Majumder, 1977b. Technique to obtain sustained culture of a cladoceran Daphnia lumholrzi Sars. Proc. Symp. Warm Water Zoopl. Spl. Publ. UNESCO/NIO, 1977, pp. 540-542.
212 Smith, P. E., 1963. Population dynamics in Daphnia magna and a new model for population growth. Ecology 44: 651-653. Sorgeloos, P., M. Baeza-Mesa, E. Bossuyt, E. Bruggeman, J. Dobbeleir, D. Versichele, E. Levina & A. Bernadino, 1980. Culture of Arremia on rice bran: the conversion of a waste product into highly nutritive animal protein. Aquaculture 21: 393-396.
Ventura, P. F. & E. M. Enderez, 1980. Preliminary studies on Moina sp. production in freshwater tanks. Aquaculture 21: 93-96.
Received 5 November 1982; in revised form30 May 1983 and 29 September 1983; accepted 16 October 1983.
