Effects of Different Diets on Population Growth of Cultured Cyclopoid Copepod, Mesocyclops leuckarti (Claus, 1857)

In recent times aquaculture has become an increasingly important part of the world economy. Copepods play major roles in pond ecosystems serving as food for small fish, micro-predators on fish and other organisms, fish parasites, intermediate hosts of fish parasites and hosts and vectors of human diseases like cholera. Growth, reproduction and biochemical composition were analyzed for the copepod Mesocyclops leuckarti fed on four diets and their ratio like Bakers yeast (B), Baker’s yeast+ Wheat flour (BW, 1:2), Bakers yeast + Chicken manure (BC, 1:2) and Bakers yeast + Chicken manure + Wheat flour (BCW, 1:2:2). The mean peak density of the copepod population was 569 individual/lit, for all four diets used. The highest was 587 individual/lit, on diet having combination of Bakers yeast, Chicken manure and Wheat flour (BCW). A small copepod Mesocyclops leuckarti tends to have a short life span and it was found to be important food items for fish larvae.