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Artemia sites in Iran

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 March 2006

T.J. Abatzopoulos
Affiliation:
Department of Genetics, Development and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 541 24 Thessaloniki, Greece
N. Agh
Affiliation:
Artemia and Aquatic Animals Research Center, PO Box 165, Urmia University, Urmia, Iran Laboratory of Aquaculture and Artemia Reference Center, Ghent University, Gent, Belgium
G. Van Stappen
Affiliation:
Laboratory of Aquaculture and Artemia Reference Center, Ghent University, Gent, Belgium
S.M. Razavi Rouhani
Affiliation:
Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Urmia University, Urmia, Iran
P. Sorgeloos
Affiliation:
Laboratory of Aquaculture and Artemia Reference Center, Ghent University, Gent, Belgium

Abstract

Field surveys were conducted in order to collect information on the occurrence of wild Artemia populations in hypersaline environments such as salt lakes, lagoons and salty rivers. The mating behaviour of Artemia populations and the presence or absence of males were carefully recorded. Sampling involved the use of plankton nets. Collected cysts were characterized on the basis of their diameter and chorion thickness, while nauplii (instar-I) were characterized on the basis of their total length. Artemia populations were found at 17 different geographical locations scattered over 12 Iranian provinces. All Iranian Artemia populations are parthenogenetic with the exception of Artemia urmiana from Urmia Lake. During the last five years severe salinity increase has caused a dramatic reduction of population sizes in several hypersaline settings in Iran. The study of cyst and naupliar biometry revealed substantial differences between populations and can be used, to some extent, for their discrimination. Cyst diameter mean values range from 243.2 to 285.4 μm. For some Iranian parthenogens, cyst diameters were among the smallest recorded so far for parthenogenetic Artemia. The total length of newly hatched nauplii ranges from 455.5 to 529.8 μm.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
2006 Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom

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