This study aimed to investigate practical strategies to optimize the use of a high-docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) lipid emulsion (M70), a product with great potential in live prey enrichments for marine larviculture. Considering its particularly high content in DHA (22:6n-3), the adequate utilization of the emulsion for Artemia enrichments was evaluated in a series of six experiments. More specifically, the bioencapsulation efficiency of M70 into Artemia nauplii was tested under different experimental conditions of oxygen source, aeration flow, incubation temperature, concentration and dosage, as well as nauplial densities. Our results showed that an optimal utilization of M70 is achieved with incubation temperatures of 28°C, moderate aeration flows and nauplial densities of 300 ind per mL. In addition, the emulsion can be dispensed in the enrichment medium in one single dose of 0.8 g L-1, with no apparent detrimental effects on its oxidative stability and Artemia nauplii survival during enrichment.© 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

This study was carried out under the framework of the PETRI projects, PTR1995-0714-OP-02-01, programme sponsored by the Spanish Ministry of Education and Science. EV was the recipient of a Spanish PhD fellowship from the Diputación Provincial de Castellón. OM was supported by a Marie Curie Reintegration Grant within the 7th European Community Framework Programme (PERG08-GA-2010-276916, LONGFA) and a Juan de la Cierva post-doctoral contract from the “Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación”.

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