Davao Medical School Foundation, Incorporated – College of Biology
Developmental Biology Activity 1
Development of Brine Shrimp
The brine shrimp, Artemia (Crustacea, Anostraca), is a zooplankton that is commonly used in
both basic and applied research. In this activity we will look into the developmental stages of
the Brine shrimp as a start of representation for the different models of development. We will
start with Brine shrimp “eggs”, although it’s a misnomer because the eggs most people call are
actually dormant cyst. Inside dormant cysts* are embryos suspended at the gastrula stage of
development. The embryos can remain dormant in harsh conditions for many years.
Objectives
At the end of this activity the student will
1. Distinguish between the different stages of development of the brine shrimp
2. Compare brine shrimp development with human development.
Part 1. Observation of the Brine shrimp cyst
1. Observe the brine shrimp cyst under the microscope in scanner, LPO and HPO. You may place it
in a slide and put a drop of water. Draw the image, and observe for remarkable structures.
Magnification: ____________
Magnification: ____________
Magnification: ____________
Remarks/ Observation:
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Part 2. Brine Shrimp Hatching
1. Set up brine shrimp hatchery as illustrated below
Dark area
(covered)
Hatching
vessel
2. Measure the volume of the hatching vessel just enough to fill the area where the tube is covered.
This will serve as the final volume you will need to ratio and proportion the amount of sodium
chloride you will be needing to add to the water. The “eggs” (cysts) are seeded on the surface of sea
water or other appropriate solution in the range from 1 to 2.5% sodium chloride.
3. These cysts will hatch in 24–48 hours at 25°C; the length of time is shortened if the temperature is
30°C and will emerge more slowly at lower temperatures.
4. Once the cyst hatch, catch a few sample place them in a petri dish and observe under the microscope.
5. Make a slide preparation from one the nauplii and describe the changes that it has undergone. Draw
and make the necessary observations.
Magnification: ____________
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Remarks/ Observations
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6. For rearing the brine shrimp to maturity and to establish a continuing culture, the density of the
animals should not be too great since they are exceedingly sensitive to lack of oxygen or a high
accumulation of carbon dioxide
7. They can be maintained in a jar containing 500–1000 ml of the culture medium; they thrive best if air
is bubbled continuously through the medium.
8. Make a dilute suspension of yeast in water and add to the culture; algae scraped from a freshwater
aquarium can be a substitute for the yeast. It is important to limit the food supply so that the water
does not become contaminated
9. Animals can be preserved at different stages of development. They are transferred by pipet to a
suitable container such as a small petri dish or concavity slide.
10. After 3 Days observe the brine shrimp for changes in the morphology and make your observations.
Magnification: ____________
Magnification: ____________
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Remarks/ Observations
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