Copepod ID , please!

[Alexandre]

Hello, breeders! About a month ago, I collected a sample of 500 ml from an estuary. From that sample, I could Isolate and cultivate two organisms. One of them is a rotifer, 1/3 smaller than Brachionus plicatillis(L strain), making me believe that it's a Brachionus rotundiformis( s strain). The other one is a copepod, probably a ciclopoyd, very similar to Apocyclops panamensis( maybe that's the one) .That copepod is pelagic, very small(an adult is slightly smaller than a newly hatched brine shrimp), very prolific and hardy. I had some rotifer culture that were "contaminated "by them. Somehow, the copepod population took over the rotifer's to the point that the last disappeared .Also, that copepod can live long at fully fresh water. I don't know if they can be cultivated at fresh water- something to investigate.
I've posted pictures from both.
Please, let me know what you think about them.

Thank`s in advance!

Alexandre

[Luis A M]

Very interesting Alexandre! May be we are facing new species suitable for aquaculture.
Do you have access to people able to ID them there?.If not,make some samples as per viewtopic.php?f=144&t=508
and PM me.
How are you culturing the copepods,as per my protocol in that thread?.
If you found both organisms in a 500 ml water sample,the population density must have been very high!.
The copepod looks indeed like a cyclopoid.
Good luck with them!

[Alexandre]

Thank's Luis!
When I posted that thread, I thought that some mofibers would come to say: that's an Apocyclops. Now, I see I was wrong.
I'm rearing those copepods with a mix of Algamac 3050 and Astarose.They are doing well, so far.I've spread them everywhere, from 2L flasks, to 20L buckets. Now and then, some of the cultures have a population decrease, but never crashes.When that happens, I make big water change and they start to recover.
About the ID, I can try to find some people to do it for me but, to be honest, I'd rather ask you to make it , if you don't mind.I will prepare the samples and PM you. By the way, most of them pass throughout a 200 micron mesh.
Those animals were collect form a shallow mangrove.

Thank's once more!

Alexandre

[Luis A M]

You can not ID a copepod with a pic.Only specialists can do it and it is a hard work of dissecting them and study fine anatomical details.My A.panamensis (and the ones cultured in USA) were believed to be Oithona!.See: viewtopic.php?f=144&t=7410
I never kept Oithona,but yours could be Apocyclops since you are culturing them with Algamac.They tolerate starving,can feed on things calanoids wouldn´t take and can sometimes prevail in a rotifer culture
Did you check the salinity of the estuary water?.

[Alexandre]

I understand! An accurate identification is a scientific hard work! Anyway, I think it`s always good to know what we are growing inside our buckets.
I`ve seen the topic about Oithona- very interesting indeed!
Unfortunately, I haven't checked the salinity of the water collected . I wasn't even thinking of collect anything at the time but, after seeing the place, I couldn't resist!
I 'll make the procedures to ID them and send you a PM, ok?
Thank`s once more!
Best;

Alexandre