Reproductive Biology of the Calanoid Copepod Eucalanus monachus

Abstract

Copepods are vital key components of marine and freshwater ecosystems and play vital role in the energy transfer from primary producers to secondary consumers. Their traits like high diversity, different life cycle strategies, sexual reproduction and nutritive value are unique among different zooplankton. In nature, copepods constitute most preferred food of many commercially important marine finfish larvae. Mass culture of copepods is a requisite considering their various applications in aquaculture, environmental monitoring, and pharmaceutical usage. For sustained production of copepods in culture systems there should be proper understanding of their reproductive aspects. In the present study, reproductive biological aspects such as oogenesis, spermatogenesis, spermatophore formation and its transfer to the female of a calanoid copepod, Eucalanus monachus are described. Considering the reproductive features, fecundity, egg size and direct broadcasting of eggs to the medium, E. monachus could be a potential candidate for mass culture and use as live feed in marine finfish larval rearing.