Development of a low-cost technology for mass production of the free-living nematode Panagrellus redivivus as an alternative live food for first feeding fish larvae

• Published in: Applied microbiology and biotechnology 2003, Vol.60 (5), p.556-559
• Main Authors: Ricci, M, Fifi, A.P, Ragni, A, Schlechtriem, C, Focken, U
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animal aquaculture; Animal productions; Animals; Avena - metabolism; Biological and medical sciences; Biotechnology - economics; cod (fish); cod liver oil; Cod Liver Oil - metabolism; Communication; Corn; corn starch; Costs and Cost Analysis; Crustaceans; Culture Media; Developing countries; Fish; fish feeding; Fish hatcheries; fish larvae; Fish oils; Fisheries - economics; Fishes - growth & development; flour; flowers; Food; Food Supply - economics; free-living nematodes; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; glucose; growing media; harvesting; ingredients; Larva - growth & development; Larvae; LDCs; meat; methodology; Nematoda; Nematodes; oatmeal; Panagrellus redivivus; Peptones; Pisciculture; plastic bags; Plastics; Rhabditida - growth & development; Saccharomyces cerevisiae; sodium chloride; Studies; Sunflower oil; Vertebrate aquaculture; Yeast; yeast extract; Yeasts
• ISSN: 0175-7598; 1432-0614
• DOI: 10.1007/s00253-002-1178-2

The free-living nematode Panagrellus redivivus is a suitable food source for first feeding fish. In the present report, a new method for the mass production of P. redivivus is presented. The technique involves multiplication of the nematode in monoxenic (single microorganism: Saccharomyces cerevisiae) solid culture (fluid media supported by 1- to 4-cm3 sponge cubes) in autoclavable plastic bags (size range: 50x30 cm to 75x67 cm). Two growing media were tested: oat-meal medium (OM), which is an oat-based medium (16.7% oat-meal flour in 0.8% saline solution), and purified ingredient medium (PIM), a semi-synthetic medium (1.64% meat peptone, 0.94% yeast extract, 12.6% corn starch, 0.24% glucose, 1.48% sunflower oil, in 0.8% saline solution). The bags were inoculated with 350 nematodes/g medium. After an average period of 12 days (11-13 days) at 25 degrees C, the average yield (number of nematodes/g medium) was 241x10(3) for OM and 333x10(3) for PIM in 12-l bags (50x30 cm). The production scale has currently reached a bag volume of 50 l (75x67 cm); using PIM and the conditions described above, it was possible to harvest more than 1.3x10(9) nematodes/bag (291x10(3) nematodes/g medium). In PIM, when sun flower oil was replaced with the same amount of fish oil or cod liver oil, yields of 259x10(3) and 290x10(3) nematodes/g medium, respectively, were attained. The technology for mass production and formulation of P. redivivus should enable fish-hatchery operators to rely on a cheap, standardised, and permanently available live food product for first feeding fish larvae.