Apocyclops panamensis is a cyclopoid copepod that has emerged as an excellent live food organism for culture of larval marine fish. To determine the optimal temperature and salinity for culturing A. panamensis, a series of four experiments were conducted to measure the effects of temperature and salinity on survival, development time, reproductive capacity, and population growth. Temperatures of 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28 and 30ºC and salinities of 0, 5, 10, 15, 20, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40 and 45 g/L were evaluated in multiple separate studies. Three experiments were the same for temperature and salinity. For the first experiment nauplii were stocked into 1 L beakers and cultured until maturation of the entire population, and survival, sex ratio, maturation time, and fecundity were determined. For the second experiment, nauplii production of one breeding pair was measured for 10 days. For the third experiment, the effects on growth and population composition were determined by stocking 10 breeding pairs in a 1 L beaker for 10 days. For temperature, the fourth experiment measured the effects on nauplii production in a group of 25 breeding pairs that were stocked into a 1 L beaker and nauplii production was determined. For salinity, the fourth experiment subjected nauplii and adults to an abrupt salinity change and survival was determined after 24 hours.
Temperature and salinity had numerous significant effects on Apocyclops panamensis culture and production. Results of sex ratio, the percentage of ovigerous females, and the proportion of eggs in each egg sac were not affected by temperature or salinity. First maturation and full population maturation were reached earlier at higher temperatures and lower salinities. Temperature and salinity significantly affected nauplii production per breeding pair and group nauplii production. Resulting population compositions were significantly different among temperatures and salinities. The culture temperature and salinity with the highest survival and highest nauplii production were 26ºC and a salinity range from 20 g/L and 35 g/L.