Influence of Physical and Nutritive Parameters on Population and Size Variation in Two Species of Rotifer

By : P. Gopal , T.Citarasu , S. Maryjosephine Punitha , T. Selvaraj , S. Albindhas , E.S. Sindhu , M.Michael Babu

Page No: 117-130

Abstract
This study was carried out to find out the influence of physical and nutritive factors on determining the population abundance and size variation in two species of rotifer in continuous and batch culture system. The animals were subjected to different pH (6-10) and salinity (10-60ppt). The pH 8 and salinity 20ppt revealed the maximum growth and followed by 7, 9, 6 and 10pH and the salinity 30,10,40,50 and 60ppt. The algae cultured in Conway and Organic media were fed to the Brachionus rotundiformis and Brachionus plicatilis species of rotifer. The rotifer fed with Chlorella raised in Organic culture medium was found to be the effective feed to enhance the population density than the rotifer grown in Conway medium. Among the two culture systems studied for the present work, the continuous culture system was found to be the best system in increasing the rotifers population densities.

Authors :
Gopal, P. T. Citarasu, S.M.J. Punitha, T. Selvaraj, S. Albindas, A.S. Sindhu And M. Michael Babu
Center for Marine Science and Technology, Manonmaniam Sundaranar University, Rajakkamangalam 629502, Kanyakumari Dist., Tamil Nadu, India.