Artemia culture in Southeast Asia:
Special emphasis to Vietnam
By: Nguyen Thi Hong Van and Nguyen Van Hoa
Aquaculture and Fisheries Sciences Institute
Cantho University
- In most of the countries that belong to Southeast
Asia like Philippine, Malaysia, Indonesia…ect
Artemia culture in the salt-pan presently are not
yet done except indoor culture in the hatcheries
- In Thailand, there are a few places that culturing
Artemia biomass for ornamental fish industry and
exporting to the Singapore.
- Artemia culture indoor in most of the hatcheries
in Southeast Asia not only used as live food for
shrimp and fishes but also used as a bio-filter to
clean the seawater
In Viet Nam, on the year 2001, the Artemia cultured area
declined more than 50% compared to last year since the
cyst price loosed about ¼ and most of farmers switched
into salt production
15000
14000
13000
1000
12000
11000
10000
9000
8000
800
900
700
600
500
7000
6000
5000
4000
3000
400
300
200
2000
1000
0
100
0
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
Cyst (kg/dry weight)
1997
1998
1999
2000
Cultured area (ha)
2001
total cultured area (ha)
Yields (kg dry weight
The relationship between Artemia cyst production and cultured area
versus time
Large Production
This activity was done mainly under the aid of AFSI
extension team (est. 60ha). Most of remaining cultured area
were self-management by experienced farmers (est. 360
to 370ha).
- The yields varied from 20kg to more than 100kg/ha/crop
- Average yields: 45kg/ha/crop
Extension activities of AFSI
Transporting nauplii to farmers
Training at AFSI
Advantages:
Culture technique were gradually transferred to the
farmers and the culture area are expanding by time.
To decrease the working pressure on extension team
when the culture area are expanded.
Disadvantages:
Less experienced or new farmers normally have poor
production.
Farmers usually manage the production by their feeling
and experiences rather than their understanding on
biological processes that appear in the ponds.
Some characteristics on management of large
production:
- Salinity: 70 ppt upwards
- Water level: normally shallow (2-3cm at the beginning
and 5-10 at the end of the culture)
- Stocking densities: high: 200-300 nauliar/litter. Farmers
prefer to stock with very high densities and after few days
the densities were lowered by transferring Artemia to
another pond.
* Problem: - Water levels are very shallow, shortage
of food
- Salinity are slowdown dramatically
- Copepode population grow quickly
- Macro-algae and Lab-lab development
Survival is very low
- Fertilized pond are not well management
- Heavily rely on supplement food: Rice bran, chicken
manures
Seaweed
Lab-lab
Chicken manures
Prepare for sampling
Turbid measure
Research at AFSI
Alga culture
Collected samples
Sampling
Observation
Research
1. Wild algae as food for Artemia.
3 algae species are used to test on growth and survival
of Artemia:
+ Chaetoceros  Best growth and survival
+ Nizchia  can survive but slow growth
+ Oscillatoria  no growth, died after few days
2. Control problem of ‘water bloom’ in Artemia pond.
Water bloom (algae bloom) appear
Always
Less
Pond with poor
organic matters
High yields
60-70ind/l
Ponds with rich
organic matter
120-150ind/l
Stocking densities
3. Comparison life characteristics of Artemia between
field and lab conditions
B: rack for individual
culture in pond
A: bottle coverred with
net at 3 sides
Water flow
C: Rack was hung in the
water column of the culture
ponds
Figure 2: individual culture system in pond
+ Pair culture in the laboratory: The animals were fed with
water from the culture pond, the culture medium was
maintained similar as in the pond
Results:
The reproductive characteristics (reproductive mode, fecundity)
- Pond culture (sampling)
No sinificant differences
- Pair culture in pond
- Pair culture in the laboratory
4. Effect of using Artemia nauplii of successive
generations on cyst production
- Objective: Investigating the relationship of cyst yields
and successive generations (P, F1, F2, F3)
- Principle:
Inoculum
(P=cysts)
Naupliar transfer
F1
14 days
Naupliar transfer
F3
Naupliar transfer
14 days
F2
14 days
Result:
- Survivals: After 7days of the inoculation: 50-60%
After 9-10 days (reach adult sizes): 25-40%
The major reason for this decline could be the food
availability in pond and environmental stress
(especially is high temperature).
- Reproductive characteristics:
+ Fecundity: varies from 30 to more than 100
offspring and not much different between generations
+ Number of female - bearing nauplii do not
follow any rule but number of female-bearing cysts are
follow the same rule for each generation.
120.0%
SURV IV AL (%)
100.0%
80.0%
60.0%
40.0%
20.0%
0.0%
1
2
3
4
WEEKS
5
6
P
F1
F2
120.0%
survivals (%)
100.0%
80.0%
60.0%
40.0%
20.0%
0.0%
1
2
3
4
weeks
5
6
P
F1
F2
Proportion of number of female-bearing cysts in
the population between each generation
100
80
%
60
40
20
P
0
F1
W2
W3
W4
W5
W6
F2
The cyst yields: (kg/ha/5week)
1999-2000
2000-2001
Parent
60.06
53.01
F1
68.84
46.2
F2
81.07
20.98
F3
2001-2002
24.58
5.43
28.75
12.47
The cyst yields were largely changed over years, beside
the unknown factors that need to be investigated
(environment stress, genetics…). Other factors also
might influence to cyst production included:
+
+
+
Seasonal reproduction of Artemia
Food availability
Most importance
Temperature
Future research
Suitable pond management fit to different kind of pond
bottom soil, especially emphasizing to the proper stocking
densities and fertilization.
Effects of biotic factor (food availability), abiotic factor
(temperature) to reproductive characteristics and cyst
production of successive generations
 Effect of quality and quantity of food (algae) on Artemia
cyst production of successive generations .
Genetic variation and heritable traits of Artemia between
generations (P, F1, F2, F3).
Thanks for your attention