Enrichment of Artemia urmiana Nauplii Using Emulsion of Fatty Acids and an Investigation of HUFA Metabolism in Cold Incubation

High unsaturated fatty acids HUF As are of essential nutritional value in larval food, as these fatty
acids play a very important role in survival of growing larvae. Therefore it is necessary to enrich the
newly hatched Artemia Nauplli in order to improve HUFA content as well as DHAIEPA ratio.
Artemia urmiana contains a very low level of EPA(3) and only a trace amount of DHA(3), therefore
it must be enriched before use.
In enrichment through use of emulsion, a high increase in EPA as well as in DHA levels as compared
to control was observed. During starvation period while in cold incubation, EPA level decreased
initially but was followed by a later gradual increase whereas DHA level continued to decrease
throughout incubation period. Due to this storing Nauplli for more than 24 hours after enrichment
cannot be recommende, because the level of nutritional value would decrease to such low limits that it
cannot be used as efficient and suitable larval food.