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¹ Laboratorio de reproducción y cultivo de peces, Facultad de Ciencias del Mar, Universidad Autónoma de Sinaloa, Mazatlán
² Instituto Tecnológico de Tepic. Tepic, Nayarit, México
³ Escuela de Biología, Universidad Autónoma de Sinaloa, Culiacán Rosales, Sinaloa, México
⁴ Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana-Unidad Xochimilco. Depto. El Hombre y su Ambiente. Coyoacán, México DOI : 10.4194/1303-2712-v17_4_12 Viewed : 4956 - Downloaded : 3720 The effect of different salinities on growth, crude protein and total energy on a Mexican strain of the minute rotifer Proales similis (GenBank KM078762) were evaluated. The experiment was conducted at 5, 15, 25 and 35 psu, with five replicates. Rotifers were fed twice a day with Nannochloropsis sp., temperature, dissolved oxygen and pH values were maintained at 25±1 °C, 5±1 mg L-1 and 8±1 respectively. Results show that salinity does not affect the intrinsic rate of population growth (r=0.46 to 0.51 day-1) and duplication time (Dt=1.36 to 1.51 days) for P. similis. Maximum density (Dmax) values were lower at 35 psu (1,703 rotifers mL-1), whereas Dmax values were between 2,488 to 2,560 rotifers mL-1 at 5, 15 and 25 psu. Crude protein fluctuated between 25.3 and 42.8% dry biomass (DB), while energy content varied between 11.8 and 19.9 J mg-1 DB; values were significantly lower at 35 psu. Observed population growth parameters and the protein and energy content between 5-25 psu, indicate that P. similis can be successfully reared below 35 psu, making P. similis very suitable when fish larvae require a small rotifer due to sizing of mouth gap at the beginning of exogenous feeding. Keywords : Energy, Proales, protein, rotifer, salinity