• Journal of Aquaculture
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.91-97
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• 1998

This paper introduces to a simple culture method and growth of axenic (bacteria-free) rotifer Brachionus rotundiformis for seed stock of rotifer mass culture. This rotifer axenic culture method is based on the washing and transferring with sterilized sea water and modified antibiotic mixture AM9 solution. Population growth (final density on day 16) of axenic cultured rotifer were maintained with a high density and stable growth compared with the control of non-axenic culture (general culture style) through the 3 times-rerunning experiments (trial 1, 2 and 3). But the egg carrying rates of amictic females were not different between the axenic-and non-axenic culture condition. Although, rotifer density was higher in axenic culture, the food (Nannochloropsis oculata) was still remained unutilized than that of the non-axenic culture in third trial culture. These results suggest the possible existence of harmful bacteria for the rotifer population growth in the trial 1 and 3 of non-axenic culture compared to the trial 2. This axenic rotifer culture method is valuable for seed stock of the stable rotifer mass cultures.